Valid identity card a must for voters
by Ananda Kannangara
Around 14,088,500 Sri Lankan citizens are eligible to cast their vote
at the presidential election on January 26. Voters should prove their
identity by producing their National Identity Cards (NICs), temporary
IDs, issued by Gramaseva Niladharis or any other valid document issued
by the Government.
Elections Department, Additional Commissioner W.P. Sumanasiri told
the Sunday Observer that Identity Cards issued by Government Departments
or public sector establishments for employees will not be accepted at
polling booths for voters to cast their vote.
The Elections Department has called upon voters who do not possess
any valid document such as passports, driving licences or pension cards
to prove their identity to get at least a temporary ID from their area
Gramaseva Niladharis, since it will help Junior Presiding Officers (JPOs)
to check impersonations and various other irregularities.
“Such temporary IDs will be retained by the JPO and voters will not
be permitted to take them back after casting their vote,” he said.
He also said that during the past few months, the Department for the
Registration of Persons had issued 207,120 permanent NICs and
accordingly 90 percent of the voters in the country hold NICs.
Additional Elections Commissioner, Sumanasiri said that 11,098
polling stations have been set up countrywide for Tuesday’s election and
89 polling booths have been set up in the resettled areas for nearly
45,732 displaced voters.
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