Beware of fake ballot papers!

Thursday, 8 January 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Polls Chief issues notice with accurate candidate names and numbers as voter guide The Commissioner of Elections has produced a notice of the accurate candidate names and corresponding symbols on the ballot paper that will be valid at today’s crucial presidential poll. In a special notice, the Commissioner of Elections said the true details on the ballot paper have been issued in order to combat voter confusion and misleading by certain groups. The notice said there was a campaign to mislead voters by issuing fake ballot papers with false candidate symbols and in some cases, fake ballot papers with the names of prominent politicians on the candidate list. “Police have been advised to arrest any persons attempting to distribute these fake ballot papers or ballot papers distorted in any other way,” the notice by the Commissioner said. (DB)

MD to monitor MR vs MS fight!

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya showing off the correct ballot paper at yesterday’s press conference - Pic by Lasantha Kumara

Military standby orders: Polls Chief to investigate

Deshapriya says Army Commander has denied knowledge of standby order for North, East
Says only he can request IGP to call in the troops to handle security if police are incapable
No person can be prevented from voting for security reasons says Elections Commissioner

Polls Chief Mahinda Deshapriya is investigating a military standby order for troop deployment at many police stations and other vital institutions in the North and East. Speaking at his final pre-poll press briefing on election eve, Deshapriya he had received complaints about a standby order given to military divisions. “I inquired about this from the Army Commander and he denied knowledge of it,” the Polls Chief said. “I know about it and I am investigating,” Deshapriya told reporters at the Elections Secretariat yesterday. He said only the Commissioner of Elections could inform the IGP of the need to call in the military if there was a situation the police could not handle. Local and foreign polls monitors have raised concerns about military deployment in the formerly embattled Northern Province that could have an adverse impact on voter turnout. Brimming with confidence about the ability of the police department to ensure a free and fair poll, Deshapriya said two armed policemen would be stationed outside every polling station. “The Sri Lanka Police can handle anything. We dare anyone to come and try to influence the voting process or intimidate polling officials and test the strength of the Sri Lankan Police,” the Elections Chief warned. “Nobody can be stopped from voting, not even for security reasons,” Elections Commissioner Deshapriya told reporters at his office last afternoon. He said such an attempt had been made in a 2001 election, resulting in legal action and a court ruling that no citizen could be prevented from exercising his franchise on security grounds. “The law and the court rulings have empowered me the commissioner said. Daily FT has seen a copy of the ‘standby order’ issued by Chief of Defence Staff Jagath Jayasuriya on 24 December 2014. The order has been copied to the tri-forces commanders, President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is also a candidate in today’s election, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development and the Secretary to the Ministry of Law and Order. Opposition campaign aides pointed to the document being a leak from within the military establishment. The memo states: “Police and STF are responsible to provide security to conduct a free and fair election throughout the country. However, in view of excessive police commitments within the country the Security Forces have been asked to assist the Police by undertaking certain responsibilities in their respective areas during the Presidential Election – 2015.” However, it is unclear which authority has asked the military to be prepared since the Elections Commissioner has not made a request of the IGP and has now denied knowledge of the standby instruction. In the document seen by Daily FT, the CDS directorate has ordered troop deployment to police stations and “vulnerable points” from 1400hrs on 5 January and a fully-functional operations room from that same date.

Military denies involvement in polls

The military has categorically denied media reports and allegations on military presence and different deployments during the presidential election. “The Army, well conscious of its legitimate and well-defined roles, flatly rejects irrational claims that it was trying to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the presidential election and wishes to reassure that the mobilisation of the troops during these few days is made only at the request of the Police, irrespective of the area it serves,” Army Headquarters said. Issuing a press release yesterday, the Sri Lanka Army said that certain elements with vested interests and promoting different agendas were enthusiastically geared to “blame the Army for its legitimate presence across the country and its roles towards national security as has been the case in the past few years, particularly with the Army’s involvement in disaster and relief work, nation-building and public welfare roles, including those in the North and East areas.” The release added that similarly troops have been advised to be confined strictly to their respective military formations and carry out their routine duties or move out, if necessary only on the directions of proper command and control from 5-11 January. “The deployment of the Army troops in the Jaffna peninsula too remains no different and the question of a heavy military presence therefore does not arise as alleged in some quarters. This atmosphere can be easily seen in the peninsula by anyone visiting there,” the release by the army said. Addressing the alleged leak of a military plan to put retired forces personnel in charge of specific electorates in the Western Province and some other areas, the military said it was regrettable that a “section of the media including news websites” was engaging in mud-slinging and defamatory ways. These media were “going to the extent of even identifying serving and retired officers by name, thus demoralising and ridiculing them in the public eye, which itself is a blatant attempt to bring discredit to the organisation which brought peace to this country,” the military said.