3RD LEAD (ADDS DOCUMENTS)

UK referendum committee releases poll-procedure handbook

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 January 2010, 12:45 GMT]
Presenting systematically the procedures for conducting the referendum in UK this weekend, Tamil Referendum Committee (TRC) has released a 24-page handbook, worked out by a group of young legal practitioners. Meanwhile, 66 polling stations has been announced throughout the country. In the polling booths outside of the M25 limits of London city, the voting will take place only on Saturday. Inside M25 limits, polling will take place both on Saturday and Sunday. Voters are requested to check the timings of individual polling booths by seeing details in the official website, the organisers said.

Voters can cast their vote in any polling station irrespective of their place of residence.

The voter must reside in Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales) and must be at least 18 years old. In addition they should meet one of the following criteria:

a) Born in the island of Sri Lanka and has Tamil as the mother tongue.

b) Has a spouse born in the island of Sri Lanka whose mother tongue is Tamil.

c) Descendants of (a) and (b) irrespective of birth place.

No name of the voter will be registered. Ink indelible to 72 hours will be applied on the finger of the voter, according to the organisers.

Non-Tamil politicians of various political parties of UK and professionals such as teachers have agreed to function as poll observers throughout voting and counting in every polling station.

An overall monitoring committee membered by non-Tamil cross party politicians, trade union members and academics, has been formed for overall monitoring of the referendum and for announcing the results.

Voting takes place between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday in the polling centres within Greater London (inside M25).

Timings vary in the polling stations outside of Greater London where the voting takes place only on Saturday.

The organisers have announced 18 polling stations outside London. Within Greater London, there are 17 polling stations in North West, 14 in North East, 12 in South West, and 5 in South East.

The details of individual polling stations and timings could be checked in the website: www.vkr1976.org.uk



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