Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday Sep 20, 2024
Saturday, 18 February 2023 01:13 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Election Commission of Sri Lanka said yesterday it has been forced to postpone the postal voting for the Local Government elections as the Government Printer has failed to deliver the postal ballot papers on the date agreed upon previously after not receiving the requested funds from the Treasury and protection from the Police.
Postal voting was set to take place on 22, 23 and 24 February.
However, the EC now says the vote will not go ahead as scheduled and the new dates will be announced in the coming days instead.
Earlier in the week, Government Printer Gangani Liyanage drawing widespread backlash claimed her department was unable to complete the printing of ballot papers as it had not received the necessary funds. The Department has currently completed the printing 50% of the ballot papers needed, Liyanage said. She also raised concerns that despite repeated requests the Police had not provided additional Police personnel to oversee the safety of the printing process.
In a related development, the EC has now written to the Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickremeratne requesting that he provide special Police protection to the Department of Government Printing.
EC Chairman Attorney-at-Law Nimal Punchihewa said the EC sent the communique to the IGP on Thursday.
Liyanage claimed the printing of material for the Local Government election has been hampered because her department has not received sufficient Police protection to date. She said despite the requests made to the Police Chief to deploy 60 Police officers to oversee the security measures during ballot paper printing, only three Police officers have been deployed.
