Full scale campaigning for the January 26 Presidential election will get under way from Thursday, December 17, after candidates file their nominations at the Elections Secretariat at Rajagiriya on Wednesday. But the two leading candidates, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and General Sarath Fonseka have been participating in numerous public engagements.
The Elections Commissioner announced that nominations would be accepted between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on the 17th.
Numerous news conferences were held in support of the two candidates by their supporters throughout last week. JVPs MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake and SLFP (M) MP Mangala Samaraweera, joint spokesmen for General Sarath Fonseka will launch tomorrow the first of their bi-weekly briefings to be held until the end of the campaign.
Media briefings on behalf of President Rajapaksa have been held on an almost daily basis with a host of senior ministers including Nimal Siripala De Silva, Maithripala Sirisena, and Dallas Allahapperuma being among the speakers, while the JHU which also backs his candidature, held their own briefings.
By Friday, 12 candidates including President Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa and General Sarath Fonseka had handed in their deposits. Members of recognized political parties must place a deposit of Rs. 50,000 while an independent candidate is required to deposit Rs. 75,000 with the Secretariat if they wish to qualify for the presidential election bid.
Among those who have handed in their deposits so far are a Buddhist monk Battaramulle Seelaratna Thera, Dr.Wickremabahu Karunaratna of the Left Front and Siritunga Jayasuriya of the United Socialist Party. (See box story on candidates)
With the polls just seven weeks away, the issue of valid identity cards of voters continues to be a problem. According to the electoral register of 2008, there were 1,955,312 persons who had not disclosed their National Identity Card (NIC) numbers while filling the electoral list .This amounts to 13.88 per cent of registered voters.
The Wanni, with 42.06 per cent has the highest number of voters who have not disclosed their NIC numbers, while Trincomalee has 23.01 per cent, Batticaloa 22.12 per cent, Matara with 20.37 per cent and Monaragala 20. 61 per cent.
However, according to officials of the Registration of Persons Department, the actual number without NICs is much less and is around 75, 000, although this figure has not been included in the electoral register.
The Elections Department has announced that those voters who do not possess any of the valid photo ID cards that can be used to prove their identity at a polling booth can obtain a temporary ID issued by the Department.
Temporary IDs would be issued by the Grama Niladaris or by Superintendents of Estates in the plantation sector. These would be issued free of charge before January 15.
In addition, the Registration of Persons Department too will issue temporary ID cards through the District Secretariats. The Department has recruited retired public officials for this purpose. In October, Rs 3.9 million was allocated to the Department of Registration of Persons to provide for the monthly allowance for 87 clerks, recruited on contract to accelerate the issuing of NICs.
However, election monitors have pointed out that it was unlikely the process would be completed given the close proximity to the election and the fact that applicants have to take their own photographs and fill out applications. “It is not practically possible to issue so many ID cards in such a short time period, especially in areas in the north such as Kilinochchi and Mannar where there is a breakdown in the administrative structure,” said Keerthi Tennakoon, a spokesman for the election monitoring group CaFFe.
The Elections Department has also informed the candidates to declare their assets under the provisions of the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act.
Minister Dallas Allahapperuma said that President Rajapaksa had declared his assets prior to the last presidential poll and would do so this time as well. Matara district MP Mangala Samaraweera who is the joint spokesman for General Fonseka said he would handover his assets declaration along with his nomination papers on Thursday.
The main candidates have picked two historic cities to kick start their election campaigns. President Rajapaksa will address his first election rally in the sacred city of Anuradhapura on December 18, while General Fonseka will address his first public rally in Kandy also on the same day.
Minister Allahaperuma said the President would address at least 30 election rallies during the course of the next seven weeks while General Fonseka would hold his second election rally in his home town of Ambalangoda followed by one in Matara.
It is not clear if the former Army Commander would address any meetings in the north and east. When this question was posed to him at his maiden news conference two weeks ago, General Fonseka said he would like to hold some rallies in those areas provided there was adequate security. |
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