The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFÉ) yesterday said that they had asked the Elections Commissioner for carbon copies of the result sheets issued at each counting centres in the presidential election, but he had not responded to this request. The Director of CaFFE Keerthi Thennakoon said that they made this request on January 31 adding that this was evidence of how the election were conducted. “This is the third letter we are sending him because we have received no response for the previous two,” he said Thennakoon also said that CaFFE was not allowed to participate in the election process and therefore was not allowed to monitor the integrity of the election. He also charged that party representatives at some counting centres had not received copies of the results of the recently concluded presidential election. The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFÉ) has called on Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to immediately send these copies of the total votes polled at the counting centres to their representatives. CaFFE reminds EC regarding carbon copies In his letter Director of CaFFE Keerthi Tennekone states the letter is sent in addition to the letter sent a week ago and telephone calls made reminding the Commissioner regarding the request for carbon copies. Mr. Tennekone, in his letter, states the Commissioner had not given permission for the request made by CaFFE to monitor the counting process and as such his organization was denied an opportunity to inspect the documents related to issuing of the results of the election. CaFFE in its letter states they had hope in having a free and fair election when initial attempts were made by the Commissioner’s office but they have serious distrust regarding the counting process due to the policy followed by the Commissioner regarding documents, especially Commissioner’s silence regarding the carbon copies of the results sheets. The letter adds that CaFFE still believes that the Commissioner and his department would take all measures to maintain the transparency of the counting process. CaFFE reminds EC regarding carbon copies Campaign for Free & Fair Elections (CaFFE), in another letter to the Commissioner of Elections has reminded him regarding their request for the carbon copies of results sheets of the presidential elections issued by the counting centers. In his letter Director of CaFFE Keerthi Tennekone states the letter is sent in addition to the letter sent a week ago and telephone calls made reminding the Commissioner regarding the request for carbon copies. Mr. Tennekone, in his letter, states the Commissioner had not given permission for the request made by CaFFE to monitor the counting process and as such his organization was denied an opportunity to inspect the documents related to issuing of the results of the election. CaFFE in its letter states they had hope in having a free and fair election when initial attempts were made by the Commissioner’s office but they have serious distrust regarding the counting process due to the policy followed by the Commissioner regarding documents, especially Commissioner’s silence regarding the carbon copies of the results sheets. The letter adds that CaFFE still believes that the Commissioner and his department would take all measures to maintain the transparency of the counting process. (LankaTruth) |
