The Government has decided to have cluster polling booths for the local elections in the North on January 29 due to non-availability of buildings for booths, security reasons, Polls Chief Dayananda Dissanayake said. The Commissioner said that accordingly the number of polling booths would be less.
The Sunday Times learns that there would be only 116 polling booths against the 424 which were set up for the local elections in 1981. According to the electoral register updated in 1986 the number of voters eligible to vote at these elections are 571,486, but according to latest statistics from the North the present total population in the Jaffna peninsula is 470,186. The number of voters estimated to vote is less than 300,000.
Meanwhile residents in Jaffna eligible to vote will have to pick up their polling cards from the nearest post office as the elections department is unable to make arrangements to deliver them as most people have still not returned to their permanent homes, Mr. Dissanayake said.
He said that the polls cards will be made available at the post offices from January 18 onwards. Majority of those who are due to vote are still living in homes of relatives, friends and temporary locations in the Jaffna district.
Meanwhile the Government is planning to fly over 1200 officials from Colombo to assist in attending to election duties on January 29 followed by the counting of votes. The Government has decided to send officials from Colombo with additional security.
A seven-member observation group on Friday met various groups, civilians and clergy to assess the ground situation before the polls. Jehan Perera, one of the poll observers, on Friday night speaking from Jaffna said, "many of the people feel that elections will not change lives of the people."
Though only a few incidents of violence have been reported since campaigning began late last month for the January 29 polls, the LTTE has put up posters outside schools with veiled threats and warnings. We are watching. Don't disrupt our plans," one poster said.
Residents interpreted it as a threat to those who come out to vote for a democratic way of life in contrast to the LTTE's plan of violent action. A northern priest who did not wish to be identified said he felt the tension brewing as most people felt the polls would be a fallacy and a farce.
A senior police officer, however, had contrary views. He said most people were keen on the polls so that they could elect a non-militant party to office.
In some areas police have banned liquor after a clash erupted between a drunken party worker and others.
Amidst the confusion and the fear it is becoming more evident that the contest will be largely a race between the EPDP and the PLOTE. Some candidates apparently in fear are claiming they have the backing of the LTTE.
A regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has been set up in Jaffna in a bid to improve the conditions of the people, a spokesman for the organisation said.
Javed Yousuf, a member of HRCSL said he was saddened by the devastation experienced by the people of Jaffna in recent years.
"I hope the Jaffna office of the HRCSL will be able to contribute toward improving the conditions of these people, who constitute an important and integral part of Sri Lanka," Mr.Yusuf said.
The Jaffna branch, the tenth office of the HRCSL, was declared open by one of its members T.Suntherlingam at a simple ceremony on Thursday. It was attended by Mr. Yusuf, Additional GA T. Waithyalingam, other government officers and representatives of NGOs working in Jaffna.
Mr. Suntherlingam said human rights did not mean only men's rights but also children and women's rights.
"Many people are not aware of their rights and they have to be educated on what their rights are," he said adding it was important for the security forces to co-operate with the HRC.
According to Mr. Yusuf the HRC is to open another regional office in Mannar soon.
Apart from Jaffna the HRCSL, has offices in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Kalmunai, Ampara, Kandy, Matara, and Badulla.
Tamil political parties contesting the local authority elections in the North would be allowed the use of TV and radio to reach their voters.
Though local government election law does not permit the use of state electronic media, it has been allowed under special circumstances, the Elections Commissioner told Tamil party representatives last Friday.
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, after discussions with the contesting Tamil political party leaders, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Chairman D.E.W. Gunasekera and SLBC officials, said that one hour would be allocated for each contesting party for its propaganda on state television and radio. He also told them that there would be a special broadcast to announce the results.
In the special broadcast, only the total votes each party received in each seat would be announced and not the preferential votes , he explained.
The head of the Permanent Commission probing bribery and corruption said yesterday all files regarding on-going investigations were intact and none of them had gone missing — but he did not rule out the possibility of files disappearing and resurfacing.
"In fact one of the files went missing and we have now managed to trace it," Commissioner T.A.de S. Wijesundara said but declined to give more details of the particular case.
Mr. Wijesundara said soon after report in The Sunday Times last week that files related to several VIPs including that of a former and present cabinet Minister had gone missing, inquiries were made from the record keeper and store keeper. "We found that all files regarding the investigations were intact, except for one file which was traced later," he said.
However, Mr. Wijesundara said there was a possibility that suddenly files go missing, but resurface again due to various reasons. "Our Department is located in two buildings. Some times files may be in one or the other. There may also be interested parties who may hide a file and delay the case, but none of the files has gone missing," he said.
The Sunday Times last week reported that the whereabouts of some of the files were not known to the record room of the Bribery and Corruption Commission. Some of these related to complaints received since the Commission was set up in 1994.
Mr. Wijesundara explaining reasons for the delays in completing investigations said that in some cases the valuation took time.
Mr. Wijesundara admitted that some of the data stored in the computer had also gone missing and a probe was being made. Senior Police Superintendent S.A. Shankar told The Sunday Times the probe was still underway. "We are checking about the complaint of vital data being deleted from the computers of the Commission," he said.
The Computer of which the data had been deleted has already been sealed.
About 3000 families will lose their homes on the new site of the presidential complex in Madiwela, compared to the 34 families at the earlier location, the UNP has claimed.
In addition, the cost share rocketed by Rs 240 million from Rs.1,500 million, of which 90 million was spent on basic designs and other matters earlier, the party said after a study.
"The new location in Madiwela which covers the area from the Pita Kotte junction to Thalawatugoda, opposite the MPs' hostels, will create problems for about 3,000 families in the area," UNP spokesman Karunasena Kodituwakku said. If this is how the government wishes to save the property of 34 families in the Battaramulla area by making 3000 families homeless, then the foolishness is apparent, he added
At the same time, the President's residence at Temple Trees is also being renovated at a cost of at least Rs. 10 million, with new furniture, he claimed. He added at a time of crisis it was totally unnecessary to spend so much on a presidential complex.
Instead of bowing to public wishes the government was now trying to spend more on such a project and in the process do more damage.
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