Counting of votes would be suspended if irregularity is noted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 April 2010, 15:53 GMT]
Counting of votes in the forthcoming general elections that is to be held on April 8 would be suspended if any untoward incident takes place during the process in the centres or in their premises, according to the instruction issued by the Commissioner of Elections to his District Returning Officers (DRO). The counting should resume in case of suspension, only if the Returning Officers and other authorities are fully satisfied that normalcy has been restored, the Elections Commissioner said.

All DROs have been instructed to seek the help of the security forces personnel to remove any members of political parties or representatives of independent groups from the centres and the premises if they noted any malpractices by them.

The Commissioner of Elections has issued the instruction following complaints of some incidents that had taken place in the counting centres in Anuradhapura district and other districts in the south during the last presidential election held in January.

Meanwhile, the polling agents of the political parties and independent groups are to be permitted to paste a sticker inside the ballot boxes at the time of sealing it at the polling station in order to avoid allegations of poll rigging.

The polling agents should paste the sticker when the empty ballot boxes are sealed and hand over a specimen of the sticker.

They will be allowed to check the stickers belonging to their political party or the independent groups when the ballot boxes are opened at the counting centres, election department sources said.