Local monitors at counting centres

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

The Department of Elections has permitted local monitors to be present at the district co-ordinating centres on April 8 and on the following day at the district election result announcing centres to maintain transparency in counting of votes following a request by political parties in the fray for the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The two local polls monitoring bodies - People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) and the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) can send their representatives to observe the counting process in all 24 districts. Consultant of the Elections Department Bandula Kulatunge told the Sunday Observer that the Department has taken all measures to hold a free and fair parliamentary election.

Though the department was confident of holding a free and fair election, local monitors were permitted to observe the counting process mainly to maintain transparency.

The department had to increase the staff and the number of polling and counting centres due to the large number of candidates who were contesting the forthcoming election. “The ballot paper is also somewhat long as the number of candidates is high. Voters will take time to cast votes and we have increased the number of polling booths to ease congestion”, he said.

Kulatunge said that no international election observers would arrive in the country as the department has not invited them. “Political parties had not requested the department to invite international observers before the day of nominations”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi stressed the need to abolish the preferential voting system (Manape) to prevent pre-polls violence.