Polling stations for voters in LTTE-held areas still in limbo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 March 2004, 18:46 GMT]
The arrangements for opening and staffing polling stations in the Sri Lanka Army-controlled areas in the Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaithivu districts are complete, but no such arrangements have been made about opening voting booths for the voters in the Liberation Tigers-controlled areas, said the Returning Officer for the Vanni region, Mr. K. Ganesh

According to Mr. Ganesh, the Elections Commissioner has not yet communicated a decision on how people in LTTE-controlled areas will vote--in LTTE-controlled areas, in SLA-controlled areas or in the no-man zone between the two.

In the General Elections to be held on April 2, the ballot boxes for remote areas in the Vanni electoral district will be carried by land from the Vavuniya Elections Office, said Mr. Ganesh

In the last elections, the ballot boxes for the sole voting booth in the Mullaithivu district, in Manal Aru (“Weli Oya”), and the TalaiMannar voting booth were taken by helicopter.

Mr. Ganesh said that the improved security situation and peace make it unnecessary to use helicopters as in the past.

The voter registration cards for voters in the Liberation Tigers-controlled Mullaithivu district have been sent, Mr. Ganesh said. Meanwhile, 4500 postal vote ballots for the Vanni electoral district have been sent to concerned employees of government departments who will vote by mail.