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Polls chief to set up operation centre under Senior DIG
View(s):By Damith Wickremasekara
Establishing an operation centre under a Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) to monitor election-related violence and election law violations by next week would be among the top priorities in preparation for the conduct of the presidential election, Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake told the Sunday Times.
He said the first centre would be set up in Colombo, followed by centres in all districts for people to lodge complaints related to election violence and election law violations.
He said he would coordinate through SDIG (Elections) K.V.D.A.J. Karavita, who has already been appointed to oversee election-related activities. A senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) will be appointed for coordination in districts. Telephone numbers, including WhatsApp numbers and fax numbers, will be made public, enabling people to lodge complaints and provide information.
Security arrangements for the nomination day would be the next priority, and already discussions have been held with SDIG (Elections) and three Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) in the Divisions, and instructions have gone out to make the necessary security arrangements, the polls chief said.
He said they believed that there would be no hindrance due to the absence of an Inspector General of Police (IGP), and therefore they could make arrangements for the nominations.
The Commission, under the Constitution, is empowered to issue orders to the police after an election has been called for.
Meanwhile, arrangements are underway for postal voting, and polling card printing has started.
He said preparing the polling centres and ballot boxes too would be carried out next week.
Nominations for the presidential election will be received on August 15 at the Election Commission head office in Rajagiriya.
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