52 nominations for Batti polls accepted

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

The final list of candidates' for the Batticaloa elections will be handed over to the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake this week, Assistant Elections Commissioner for Batticaloa T. Krishnanandalingum said.

Police are ready to provide security to candidates if they require, Deputy Inspector General Eastern Range, V. S. A. P. Nanayakkara said. DIG Nanayakkara met all party representatives yesterday. The party representatives will meet the District Secretary tomorrow.

According to Krishnanandalingum the numbers given to each candidate will be finalised tomorrow. Around 270,471 voters are registered in the district. There are 285 polling booths and nine will be for Internally Displaced People, Krishnanandalingum said.

"There will be one polling booth for the displaced people close to the camp or they will be directed to the nearest polling booth within the electorate," he said. The officials are considering to provide transport to such people if the need arises.

The Batticaloa Election Office till Friday accepted 52 nominations that include 30 parties and 22 independent groups.

There are six main parties contesting the election. Five candidates are from the UPFA, four candidates from the SLMC, eight candidates from the TMVP, another four from the JSP, eight candidates from the EDF. The National Congress (Athaullah Party) has only one candidate. Eight hundred and thirty one are contesting the elections in the nine divisions of Batticaloa where 101 will be selected by the people's vote.