Top
priority to allocation of preference numbers
By Shelani Perera
Elections Department officials are working round the clock to complete
the allocation of preference numbers to around 25,000 candidates
who have sought nomination for the forthcoming local government
polls.
The
Department has put on hold all other work to complete the allocation
of numbers to the candidates contesting seats in 330 local bodies
. Faced with the daunting task of completing the allocation of numbers
by Friday, Department staff were able to allot preference numbers
in only 15 Districts.
Although there was no deadline set for the task the Elections Department
had targeted to complete it by Friday evening.
An
Elections Department official told The Sunday Times that priority
has been given to the allocation of the numbers. “The allocation
of numbers is very time consuming, as there are 25,000 candidates.
It has to be done very carefully. Once a number is allocated we
have to make sure it is gazetted in all three languages.
We
cannot start printing the ballot papers until we complete this task.
Designing of the ballot paper can be done only once the numbers
are allocated,” he said.
Although
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake told contesting political
parties that he would arrange a weekly meeting with party secretaries
to discuss problems faced by the parties in the run-up to the polls,
the meetings have been put on hold due to the inability to complete
allocating the preference numbers.
“Once
this task is completed we will look into how we are going to monitor
the law relating to posters and cut-outs which are already on public
display.
The security aspect is also another important feature we have to
look into” an official said.
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