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Around 40 per cent of the total eligible postal voters had cast
their votes for the Eastern Provincial Council elections,
authorities said.
Authorities said public officers unable to cast their vote would
be allowed time until May 10.
According to the Election Secretariat, there are 22,412 eligible
postal voters - 4,427 from Batticaloa, 9,468 from Ampara and
8,517 in Trincomalee.
Returning Officer for Digamadulla District Sunil Kannangara told
the Daily News that postal voting was being conducted in 152
centres and not a single incident of violence was reported so
far.
According to the Assistant Commissioner (Elections) for
Batticaloa T. Krishnandalingam, voting was progressing sans any
incidents in 150 centres and had received over 500 envelopes
containing votes cast out of a total of 4,427.
The Assistant Commissioner (Elections) for Trincomalee district
Bandara Mapa said that he had received envelopes containing of
more than 50 per cent of the total eligible votes .
Meanwhile, with only 12 days remaining for the Eastern
Provincial Council Poll, the Elections Commissioner had given an
undertaking to make the production of identity cards or other
valid documents compulsory for voters in accordance with the
Elections Special Provisions Act, when the writ application
filed by PAFFREL asking for an order to impose the above was
taken up before the Court of Appeal.
The main election to elect 37 members for the Eastern Provincial
Council would be held on May 10 in 1,022 polling stations in the
East, with a record number of 1,342 candidates from 18 political
parties and 73 independent groups in the fray. |