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| Sunday, 25 September 2005 |
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EC unhappy over partial monitoring by Ananda Kannangara The matter of appointing a Competent Authority to monitor the conduct of the state media during the election periods was highly questioned by Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka on Friday. He highlighted that this law should also be applicable to the private media. "However I will carry out my duties within a certain frame according to the rules and regulations of existing laws," he said. The Commissioner also said that although the 17th amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution indicates the service of a Competent Authority for the state media, it has not clearly mentioned about the duties and the responsibilities befallen on him. "However I would perform my responsibilities on this important issue as I did at the last election," he said. Dissanayaka also said that no polling booths would be established at uncleared areas in the North and East under any circumstances in order to conduct a free and fair Presidential Election on Nov 17. "In the North and East polling booths are instituted only in Government-controlled areas, so that high security can be provided for both voters and officials manning the booths," he said. The Commissioner said that the Presidential Election would be conducted according to the 2004 electoral list where 13.3 million are eligible to cast their votes. "Around Rs. 930 million has been allocated as expenditure for the election which is held over 10,486 polling stations islandwide and nearly 100,000 public servants will be deployed for election duty," he said. The Polls Chief also asked saboteurs or impersonators not to indulge in any kind of unlawful activities at polling booths on the Election day since he had been empowered to annul the voting at such polling stations. "Under such circumstances I will hold fresh elections only for the respective polling booths," he added. |
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