|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 6 October 2002 |
 |
|
 |
Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Local govt. polls for North-East on June 25 by Don Asoka Wijewardena Circumstances, said Deputy Commissioner, M.C. Arunthavachelvam in an interview with the 'Sunday Observer'. The Local Government elections for the North and East will now be held on June 25,2003 in accordance with the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance despite opposition from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) conduct to it under the present circumstances, said Deputy Commissioner (Elections), M.C. Arunthavachelvam in an interview with the 'Sunday Observer'. The Deputy Commissioner said that the local government elections for North and East had to be postponed for a second time on the recommendation of Returning Officers (Government Agents)in the respective districts that the prevalent atmosphere was not conducive to hold elections. "The returning officers of the respective districts had opposed it due to security reasons following several discussions with the Commissioner of Elections, Dayananda Dissanayaka and urged him to defer the polls," added the Deputy Commissioner. According to the Elections Commissioner's Department, the previous nominations for the polls will be valid as postal voting had already been completed. Polling cards and ballot papers printed and distributed earlier will also be valid. Mr. Arunthavachelvam said that about 11 lakhs of registered voters are eligible to vote to elect members for 57 local bodies in Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee excluding Mullativu and Kilinochchi, where nominations were not received. Elections will be held for one municipal council, 3 urban councils and 12 pradeshiya shabhas in Jaffna, 4 pradeshiya shabhas in Mannar, one urban council and 4 Pradeshiya Shabhas in Vavuniya, one municipal council, one urban council and 10 pradeshiya shabhas in Batticaloa, one municipal council, one urban council and 14 pradeshiya shabhas in Ampara and one urban council and 10 pradeshiya sabhas in Trincomalee. When asked about the response of the contesting political parties following the second postponement, the Deputy Commissioner said that they were all informed that it was due to security reasons and there were no complaints from anyone hitherto. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
