Polls chief gets greenlight for LG election in East
by Anura Maitipe
The government has called upon the Elections Commissioner to hold
Local Government elections in the Eastern Province to elect members for
local government bodies, Minister of Local Government Provincial
Councils Janaka Bandara Tenakoon told the Sunday Observer.
With the liberation of the people from the LTTE terrorists, normalcy
has returned to the Eastern Province. Law and order has already been
established and now people should be given the right to use their
franchise to elect members to the Local Government bodies in the Eastern
Province, to enable them to back the proposals, ongoing rehabilitation
and development schemes in the East.
The Minister said over 90 per cent people in the Eastern Province
have returned to their permanent houses and there are some families
still living in temporary shelters and these families will also be
provided an opportunity to cast their votes. Arrangements will be made
by the Elections Commissioner at locations close to the camps occupied
by displaced families in the Eastern province to cast their votes.
The date of the Local Government election and submitting nominations
to the Eastern Province will be announced by the Elections Commissioner
within the next few weeks, he said. 28,961 persons at Villaweli, 21,523
persons at Paddipoli and 24,792 persons at Waunawe in Batticaloa
district, 71 persons at Upparu, 706 persons at Mutur, 643 persons at
Seruvila and 4,076 persons at Verugal in the Trincomalee district have
been resettled recently.
In addition 11,572 persons at Vakarai, 742 persons at Kadravali and
2,477 persons at Madurankerni have also been resettled during the past
few months.
Law enforcement and public administration institutions have been
reactivated in the Eastern Province. The Magistrate Courts, Civil
Courts, Police Stations, District Secretariats and Divisional
Secretariats have been already set up in the Eastern Province.
Infrastructure facilities such as schools, hospitals, postal
services, electricity and drinking water have also been provided for
people in the area.
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