2nd Lead (Adds details)

Vadamaradchy East, Kilinochchi voters can exercise franchise freely- GA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 November 2005, 12:42 GMT]
"We have made elaborate arrangements to ensure that voters residing in Liberation Tigers' controlled areas of Vadamaradchy east and Kilinochchi district can exercise their franchise with complete freedom without any requirement to produce identity cards," said Jaffna Government Agent and Jaffna District Election Returning Officer, K Ganesh, during a press meet held at the Jaffna Secretariat offices Sunday afternoon.

He said that election officials have arranged 242 vehicles to transport voters in Liberation Tigers controlled areas that fall within Jaffna district to cluster booths located between 500m to 1km from the Muhamalai checkpoint inside the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled zone.

International observers belonging to Association of Asian Election Authorities, Commonwealth Secretariat Delegation, and European Observation Mission (EOM), and local NGOs Peoples Action For Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL) and Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) will monitor the polling stations in Jaffna district, the GA said.

Mr Ganesh said that Mr Douglas Devananda for United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), N Vishnukanthan for United National Party (UNP), V Thirunavaukkarasu for New Left Front (NLF), and Meera Sahib Abdul Kafir for Rahunu Janatha Party will function as election representatives of their respective parties competing in the presidential election.

Ballot boxes for Nainativu, Analaitivu, Nedunthivu and Eluvaitivu islets in the western coast of Jaffna will be taken with the assistance of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) from Kayts jetty. After the votes have been cast, the Neduntivu ballot boxes will be taken by Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter and the SLN will assist in transporting the boxes from the other three islets back to the Election Counting offices in Jaffna Secretariat, the GA added.

Mr Ganesh also said that the checkpoint in Muhamalai will function normally but priority will be given to the voters crossing the checkpoints.

"Only Sri Lanka Police will be employed around the polling booths. SLA will only be called in only in the event of a security exigency," the GA said.

On the question of leaflets and organizations calling for boycott, Mr Ganesh said that he cannot comment on this matter but as a Government Official his responsibility is to provide all arrangements and security necessary for people to exercise their votes freely, as essential in any democratic society.

The candidates competing in Sri Lanka Presidential elections and the breakdown of registered voters in the different electoral districts are:

Sri Lanka Presidential Election Candidates Wimal Geeganage Sri Lanka National Front Chamila Jayaneththi New Left Front Ajith Kumara Arachchige Democratic Unity Alliance Srithunga Jayasuriya United Socialist Party Nelson Perera Sri Lanka Progressive Front Wije Dias Socialist Equality Party Mahinda Rajapakse United Peoples Freedom Alliance Ranil Wickremesinghe United National Party Achala Ashoka Surwweera Jathika Sangawardena Peramuna Anura de Silva United Lalith Front Victor Hettigoda Eksath Lanka Podujana Pakshaya Shantha Dharmawaja United National Alternative Front

Source: Sunday Observer 13 November 2005

Registered Voters for Sri Lanka Presidential Election Total Registered Voters: 13,314,875 Colombo 1,468,537 Kalutara 764,305 Matale 321,876 Galle 732,289 Hambantota 396,595 Gampaha 1,354,180 Kandy 907,038 Nuwara Eliya 447,225 Matara 562,987 Jaffna 701,938 Vanni 250,346 Batticaloa 318,728 Digamadulla (Amparai) 396,453 Trincomalee 239,453 Kurunagala 1,124,076 Puttalam 470,604 Anuradhapura 536,808 Polannaruwa 263,609 Badulla 533,163 Monaragala 276,109 Ratnapura 665,217 Kegalle 570,299

Source: Sunday Observer 13 November 2005



In the Sri Lanka Presidential elections of 1999, UNP polled a total number of 3,602,748 (42.7%) votes and PA 4,312,157 (51.1%).