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| Sunday, 15 February 2004 |
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Politics |  |
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Foreign observers for polls monitoring by Don Asoka Wijewardena Around 140 foreign observers are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka in the first week of March to monitor the election and ensure that it is being held in a free and fair environment. The observers have been invited by People's Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFAFE) and the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CFMEV). Chairman PAFFAFE, Kingley Rodrigo, told the "Sunday Observer" that his organisation would deploy about 20,000 observers to monitor the election, with the assistance of another 450 non-governmental organisations. He said that 50 per cent of the foreign observers would be from the Asia Network for Free and Fair Election and others from Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States. Rodrigo said as there would be 11,000 polling stations throughout the country, his organisation would detail at least two observers at each polling station to monitor whether the elections are held freely and fairly. Rodrigo also said in a bid to effectively monitor the election 'Citizen's Committees comprising religious dignitaries from all religious denominations would be formed at constituency level in co-ordination with other organisations. He said the religious dignitaries would work as trouble shooters. Convener of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CFMEV),Sunanda Deshapriya,said that his organisation would have 40 foreign observers and added that it had already decided to detail observers, especially in violence-prone areas such as Puttalam, Kurunegala, Matara and Matale. He also stressed that the CFMEV would closely work with the Police Commissioner and the Election Commissioner to hold a violence-free,fair election as the Election Commissioner had already granted permission to the CFMEV to officially enter all polling booths for monitoring purposes. |
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