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Call to parties to assist in updating electoral registers

By Dhananjani Silva

People’s Action For Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) which is engaged in monitoring elections yesterday called on political parties to appoint their party agents to assist Grama Niladharis in the process of updating the electoral registers which commenced on Thursday.

PAFFREL head Kingsley Rodrigo told The Sunday Times that PAFFREL would raise the issue of the role of party agents, at its forthcoming awareness programmes which will commence next week.

“We will write to the party leaders regarding this matter. When the Elections Commissioner has provided facilities, the parties should make use of it,” he said.

One of the main allegations made is the lack of cooperation by party agents who are supposed to be present during the entire voter registration process.

However, UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya said that although party agents were not expected to accompany the Grama Niladharis when they distribute the voter registration forms, party organisers will monitor the exercise and keep the party informed.

Special attention will be paid in places where eligible voters were deprived of their vote at the last election,” he said.

During the last Presidential elections a large number of voters complained that their names had not been included in the electoral register despite handing over their voter registration forms to the Grama Niladhari. However, it is learnt most of them had failed to obtain the receipt which the Grama Niladhari is expected to issue.

“People should make sure they collect the receipt from the Grama Niladhari when they hand over the voter registration forms,” Mr. Rodrigo said.

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