EC says delimitation to conclude before 15 Sept.

By Chamodi Gunawardana

Local Government elections are looming closer with the ongoing delimitation process conducted by the National Delimitation Committee expected to be completed before 15 September, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said yesterday.

Speaking to the media, Deshapriya noted that the process of making delimitations in most districts including Colombo and Jaffna had already concluded. He added that the Committee was yet to complete 40% of delimitations in the Kandy District.

However, last week Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha said the process could only be concluded by 31 October.

In addition, Deshapriya requested the public to check their inclusion in the 2016 enumeration list of electors by referring to lists which are displayed at each District Secretariat, District Election Office, Provincial Council Chief Secretariat, Divisional Secretariat, Local Authority and Grama Niladhari Office. 

The public can also visit www.election.gov.lk, the Election Commission’s official website to check registration. 

“Anyone could check their name on the website by just typing the national ID number in the given box,” Deshapriya said. 

Accordingly, anyone can submit objections against an enumerated name if the said person is not eligible to vote. In order to do so the complainant should obtain the relevant form from the nearest secretariat and should hand it over to the Election Secretariat before 28 September. 

Corrections to enumerated names can be submitted to the Commission or they can be posted as a letter or a post card, Deshapriya noted. People who do not have their names on the list can also follow the same process to enrol their names before 28 September. 

The Commission has already received around 8,000 claims and corrections from 1 September until yesterday. 

Commenting on new enrolments to the enumeration list, Deshapriya said 225,000 fresh voters had been enrolled onto the 2016 list. There are approximately 10.57 million total voters this year. 

Deshapriya added that the number of voters could increase after the corrections and claims were finalised. 

In order to expand the numbers of voters, Deshapriya said they had been talking to the Attorney General about the legal provisions governing voting rights to the homeless, gypsies and the Vedda community.

The Election Commission has already identified nearly 1,500 Veddas and 500 gypsies from the Dambane and Monaragala areas who could be given voting rights. 

Deshapriya further said that the Commission would support the National Youth Council’s petition to obtain voting rights for youngsters who completed 18 years within the date of a future election gazette notification.  

“Every year we usually use the previous enumeration list to conduct the election, but nearly 250,000 young people lost the chance to vote even after they completed 18 years on or before the election date. We should amend the Elections Act to give them a chance to vote,” he opined.