The movement of Polling Agents inside the counting centres for parliamentary elections is to be restricted. Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has sent out instructions to the effect to district secretaries who will function as Returning officers.

The issues were discussed during a meeting between the Commissioner of Elections and regional election officials recently. Matale Government Agent Gamini Seneviratne said the polling agents would be allowed to leave the centre only during stipulated interval periods.

At the recent Presidential election the opposition alleged mass-scale rigging and violence at the Matale counting centres. This they claimed had altered the outcome of the final results in favour of the government side.

Ratnapura’s Government Agent H. W. Gunadasa said they had also called for a bigger police presence including armed sentries at the main entrance to the counting hall. (Read More)

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has warned the media they may face charges of contempt before the Supreme Court if they do not follow the 21-point guidelines given by him.

In a notice issued to both the print and the electronic media in relation to the general elections, Mr. Dissanyake has drawn reference to the Supreme Court ruling of last year. The court directed all media institutions to comply with the guidelines issued by the Department “in the interest of justice and in order to ensure a free and fair election”.

“Any media institution that contravenes the order of the Supreme Court may face the charge of contempt of court,” the Commissioner says in the notice. (Read More)

Election monitors yesterday emphasised the need to introduce a mechanism that could control the campaign finances of each candidate as outlined by the Commonwealth Union and other international election monitoring missions.

The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said that the Commonwealth Election   monitors who were here during the 2005 Presidential Election, made recommendations to be incorporated in the election law with regard to campaign finances. 

“There should be a level playing field for all the candidates to campaign. Otherwise, it is not democratic,” CaFEE spokesman Keerthi Tennakoon said.  Tennakoon said that some candidates dispose their ‘black money’ for campaigning during election times.

“At the last election, certain persons have spent as mush as Rs.1.5 million for one TV commercial of three minutes. How have they amassed wealth?” he asked. 

The United People's Freedom Alliance handed over their nominations for several districts today. It has already handed over their nominations for Gampaha, Hambantota, Galle, Matale, Puttalam, and Polonnaruwa districts.

General Secretary of UPFA Minister Susil Premajayantha handed in the nominations for the Colombo district this morning while UPFA nominations of the for the Kandy district were handed by group leader Sarath Amunugama and deputy leader Mahindananda Aluthgamage to the Kandy district returning officer Gotabhaya Jayaratne. (Read More)

The Police Department yesterday said it was not in a position to frame charges against violators of the election law without the Attorney General’s advice and that was the reason cases have not been filed against most violators of the elections law.

“We refer the files to the AG’s Department and are waiting for instructions,” Police media spokesman Preshantha Jayakody said.

Commenting on the pasting of posters in every nook and corner, putting up  banners, floats and cut-outs, he said it is up to the Police Department to remove them but financial and human resource constraints have hampered the action to be taken. (Read More)

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has directed all District Secretaries to take immediate action to remove election posters, banners and cutouts in government office premises.

The Elections Commissioner has made the directive through a circular issued to the District Secretaries. He had asked them to ensure that no government premises including schools, pradeshiya sabha office premises, CTB depots, hospitals, government corporations and statutory boards, should have any posters, banners and cutouts of political parties. He had said that if there are such material steps have to be taken to remove them. (Read More)

Four key election monitoring bodies yesterday called on voters to avoid voting for candidates who had violated election laws, such as putting up posters and cut-outs for the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

The election monitors also called on the police to utilize the state funds  allocated for the removal of these materials and carry out the election commissioner’s directives.

Executive Director of the Campaign for Free & Fair Election (CaFFE), Keerthi Tennekoon said that this was similar to the situation at the recently concluded Presidential election, where the Elections Commissioner had asked the police to remove propaganda material and they had not done so.

He stressed the importance of implementing the order, saying that a lot of money allocated had been from public resources.

Rohana Hettiararchchi, speaking on behalf of PAFFREL said the task for the police will be difficult as there were more than 5,000 candidates  and such material was widespread. (Read More)

Over 112 Independent Groups had paid their deposits for contesting in the 22 districts and 10 independent groups had handed in their nominations in six districts for the upcoming Parliamentary elections to be held in April.

A senior elections secretariat official yesterday said that the Janasetha Peramuna had handed in nominations in seven districts; Jathika Sanwardana Peramuna in three districts; Sinhale Maha Sammatha Bhoomi Puthra Paksaya in three districts by; Okkoma Wesio Okkoma Rajawaru in two districts and the Kamkaru Paksaya in one district.

He also stated that the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka will lay down tough strictures if the state media does not follow his guidelines, a senior elections secretariat official said yesterday.

“He is monitoring the programmes telecast over the state-owned electronic media and will take a decision on the appointment of a Competent Authority if his instructions are not followed,” the official said.

Meanwhile, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiiaarachchi said that Election monitoring groups -- PAFFREL, CaFFE and the CMEV will monitor the elections with a contingent of 15,000 observers.

“PAFFREL will obtain the services of foreign monitors from the Asian Network for Free and Fair Elections (ANFFE),” he said 

This was in view of certain incidents in the aftermath of recent elections. Hooligans had invaded the counting centres, assaulted supporters of rival political parties, chased them away and even obstructed the Police from carrying out their duties Election Department sources said. They believe that if security cameras had been installed it would have been easier to identify the culprits.

The question was discussed at high level on Monday at the auditorium of the Anuradhapura District Secretariat by District Secretary H. M. K. Herath, Senior Assistant Secretary of Elections S. M. Saman Bandulasena and senior Police officials. A senior Police official insisted that security cameras should be installed to thwart any possible untoward incident during counting.

The department of elections is divided over steps that need to be taken regarding state officials who ignore directives given by the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake.

While some of his top election aides have requested him to immediately seek the help of the Supreme Court, the elections commissioner had told them to wait until the nomination period ends.

“But we have received complaints that over 600 people have been transferred; this issue was also raised when the commissioner met election monitors on Thursday. So, many of us feel that we need to go to the courts at once”, election department sources said.  (Read More0