by Franklin R. Satyapalan
Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday told the media that if Police in the Southern Province, especially the Hambantota District, did not take immediate action to remove all the posters, cut outs and banners by today October (8), he would be compelled to cancel polling in that area.
With campaigning coming to a close at midnight yesterday, the print, telecast and broadcast media were prohibited from carrying any paid advertisements supporting any candidate or political party.
The Commissioner of Elections was addressing a media briefing at the Elections Secretariat last evening.
He said that except for certified polling agents, policemen on duty, officials or monitors from the CMEV or PAFFREL, no other person however powerful he/she may be, could enter a polling station.
If a politician or minister enters a booth to cast his vote, none of his bodyguards or weapons could be taken inside. Candidates could enter a booth only one at a time, that also with the permission of the Senior Presiding Officer (SPO).
No expired passports, driving licenses, Senior Citizens card, clergy identities would be accepted for voting purposes and IDs of Security Forces, MPs, JPs are not recognised for voting purposes.
Not even polling agents or polling station staff or any others may use or take inside a polling station mobile phones, cameras or video cameras.
The Police have been instructed to strictly enforce the 500 metres area from a polling station out of bounds to political party activists.
Action has been taken to appoint elections staff in mufti who have been deployed from Colombo to monitor activities inside a polling station or 500 metres outside and a report is to be submitted to the Commissioner of Elections which would be compared with the report submitted by the Senior Presiding Officer and from this report, the Commissioner of Elections would decide whether to nullify the voting in a polling station or not.
by Franklin R. Satyapalan
Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday told the media that if Police in the Southern Province, especially the Hambantota District, did not take immediate action to remove all the posters, cut outs and banners by today October (8), he would be compelled to cancel polling in that area.
With campaigning coming to a close at midnight yesterday, the print, telecast and broadcast media were prohibited from carrying any paid advertisements supporting any candidate or political party.
The Commissioner of Elections was addressing a media briefing at the Elections Secretariat last evening.
He said that except for certified polling agents, policemen on duty, officials or monitors from the CMEV or PAFFREL, no other person however powerful he/she may be, could enter a polling station.
If a politician or minister enters a booth to cast his vote, none of his bodyguards or weapons could be taken inside. Candidates could enter a booth only one at a time, that also with the permission of the Senior Presiding Officer (SPO).
No expired passports, driving licenses, Senior Citizens card, clergy identities would be accepted for voting purposes and IDs of Security Forces, MPs, JPs are not recognised for voting purposes.
Not even polling agents or polling station staff or any others may use or take inside a polling station mobile phones, cameras or video cameras.
The Police have been instructed to strictly enforce the 500 metres area from a polling station out of bounds to political party activists.
Action has been taken to appoint elections staff in mufti who have been deployed from Colombo to monitor activities inside a polling station or 500 metres outside and a report is to be submitted to the Commissioner of Elections which would be compared with the report submitted by the Senior Presiding Officer and from this report, the Commissioner of Elections would decide whether to nullify the voting in a polling station or not.
