Election arrangements in Trincomalee district finalized

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 March 2004, 18:50 GMT]
Fifteen clustered polling stations will be established in the Muttur and Eachilampathu divisions enabling voters residing in the Liberation Tigers held areas in the Trincomalee district to exercise their franchise, said Mr. Gamini Rodrigo, District Returning Officer and Government Agent, presiding over a conference held Friday in the district secretariat to finalize all arrangements for the forthcoming general election.

Eight clustered polling stations would be established beyond Mahindapura police checkpoint but within the no-man zone towards Eachilampathu village. Seven clustered polling stations would be located close to the Kattaiparichchan border dividing the army-controlled and LTTE controlled areas in the Muttur east.



Trincoalee District Returning Officer Mr.Gamini Rodrigo addressing the election conference held Friday while Senior Superintendent of Police Mr.Upali Hewage, European Union observers Ms Florence Balachchino and Mr.Eduardo Salvador Acevedo look on


The senior Superintendent of Police Mr.Upali Hewage who was present at the conference said the army check point in the Kattaiparichchan area would be withdrawn temporarily to five hundred meters inside the government controlled area and police will be posted to provide security to clustered polling stations designated for LTTE held area voters in the Muttur east division.

Ballot boxes and ballot papers will be taken to and from Padavi Siripura and Pulmoddai divisions to Trincomalee by helicopter and to and from Muttur and Kinniya in the south to Trincomalee will be by sea The Sri Lanka Air Force and the Sri Lanka Navy would provide necessary security in this operation, said Mr. Gamini Rodrigo.



( L-R ) TNA candidate Mr.K.Thursiratnasingham, TNA lead candidate Mr.R.Sampanthan, EPDP lead candidate Dr.K.Vikneswaran and UPFA lead candidate Mr.M.K.A.de S.Gunawardene are aeen at the conference.


Transport arrangements have been made to transport voters in LTTE held areas to clustered polling stations free of charge. Enough number of state buses has been allocated for election purpose to transport voters, Mr. Rodrigo said.

Lead candidates of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and Peoples United Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Messrs R.Sampanthan, Dr.K.Vikneswaran and M.K.A.De S.Gunawardene and heads of all police divisions in the district participated in the conference which was attended by Trincomalee district assistant elections officer Mr.Bandara Mapa, European Union election observers Ms Florence Balachchino and Mr.Eduardo Salvador Acevedo, sources said.

 

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