Polling stations in SLA-controlled areas for voters in LTTE-held region

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 March 2004, 05:38 GMT]
According to decisions made at special meetings at the Secretariats in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa, the polling stations for the voters in the Liberation Tigers-controlled areas are to be constructed in the Sri Lanka Army-controlled areas in clusters, sources said.

In the Jaffna polling district, the Kilinochchi electorate is fully beyond the SLA’s control, and in the Point Pedro electorate, the Vadamaradchy East region is not under SLA-control. For the nearly 59,000 voters of these areas, 62 polling stations will be constructed in Muhamalai, the sources said, adding that the transport facilities for the voters will be arranged by the government agent.

Voters arriving at the Muhamalai checkpoint with the voter registration cards and without any bags will be allowed to go into the SLA-controlled area unchecked.

In the Batticaloa district, 89 polling booths will be constructed at 13 places inside the SLA-controlled areas for the voters in regions not under the SLA’s control. The decision was made at a meeting at the Batticaloa secretariat, chaired by the government agent, Mr. E. Mounagurusamy.

The district’s deputy elections commissioner, Mr. S. Krishnananthalingam, Batticaloa 233rd division commander of the SLA, Col. L.A.D. Amaratunga, the Valaichenai regional SLA commender Brigadier R.M.D. Ratnayake, Batticaloa district senior superintendent of police, Mr. Mahesh Samarathivahara, Special Task Force officer, W.K.Sirisena, divisional secretaries and regional polling officers participated at the meeting.

In the Batticalaoa district, 79,000 voters are in areas not under SLA’s control. The 89 polling stations will be located as a cluster at Mankerny, Valaichenai, Pethalai, Kiran, Siththandy, Vantharumoolai, Senkalady, Vavunathivu, Thalankudah, Chettipalaiyam, Ollikulam, Paddiruppu and Mandoor.

The SLA has given an assurance that voters with registration cards or identity cards will be allowed to go into the SLA-controlled areas without any checkup. The Village officers Have been notified to inform the voters that they should not bring bags and other belongings. 30 buses have been arranged to provide transport to the voters.

In the Vanni region, the Mullaithivu district is totally out of SLA’s control. Some regions in the Mannar and Vavuniya districts are also out of the SLA’s control. The polling booths for the 90,000 voters of these areas will be constructed as a cluster in Omanthai and Uyilankulam, according to Mr. K. Ganesh, the Vavuniya Government Agent.

In the Trincomalee district, cluster polling booths will be constructed in Muttur East for the 19,000 voters in areas under LTTE’s control.