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| Sunday, 10 February 2002 |
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Politics | Today's Top Story |  |
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Police Elections Secretariat in force again by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE The Police Elections Secretariat set up during the last general elections for monitoring polls related incidents will be re-activated once again for the forthcoming local government elections scheduled for next month. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of the Police Elections Secretariat, Gamini Navaratne, told the "Sunday Observer" that about 40,000 policemen engaged during the last general elections will be re-deployed for the local government polls as well since the voter turn-out will be much more as it involves municipal councils, urban councils and pradeshiya sabhas in the entire country except in the north and east, over which a decision has not be finalised yet. He said the police have conducted a country-wide campaign to educate the general public on minor election related offences that had occurred at the last general elections. IGP Lucky Koddituwakku at a recent conference briefed senior DIGs and other DIGs in charge of all police divisions on their duties connected with the forthcoming local government polls. Meanwhile, mini-police election secretariats will be set up in the 36 police divisions to co-ordinate with the Colombo Police Headquarters and the main Police Election Secretariat to monitor all election related incidents. Mobile police patrol units will be deployed in all electorates as in the general elections. The local government polls is scheduled for March and about 12.4 million are expected to vote at the 18 municipal councils, 36 urban councils and 257 pradesiya sabhas in the country. Nominations for the elections will close on February 8. District Returning Officers will accept nominations from registered political parties and independent groups from February 1-9 at the respective centres set up for the purpose. There are 309 local government bodies including those in the North and East. The Deputy Commissioner (Elections) M. C. Arunthavachelvam told the "Sunday Observer" that the date for the elections will be notified by the Commissioner of Elections after consulting the Government Agents of the respective districts. The Elections Commissioner's Department is making all arrangements to conduct the polls in the north and east as well under the existing law although a final decision has yet to be taken by the government. According to Local Government Minister Alic Aluvihare, the existing election law has to be amended to empower the Elections Commissioner to postpone the polls in the North and East. The Minister has directed all government ministries, corporations and other state bodies not to utilise state owned vehicles and property for election campaigning. |
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