Not a single IDP registered: 14,000 IDP families will lose voting rights

By Rathindra Kuruwita | Lakbima News
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Nearly 14,000 IDP families will lose their voting rights in the coming local council elections. Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) claim that not a single IDP has been registered three months after the Department of Elections commenced its 2010 voter registry revision and that 14,184 IDP families will lose their chance to vote in the coming local council elections if immediate action is not taken.

“The department commenced the revision on June, 1, 2010. After three months the officials have made dismal progress in the North and the East with less than 10% of the Grama Niladari divisions in the Jaffna District completing the process to date. We must realize that Jaffna district is the better administrated district in the North,” Keerthi Tennakoon, Director CaFFE told Lakbimanews.

He added that at this pace the voter registration revision in Mullativu and Kilinochchi Districts will not be completed in time for the local council election. 20% of Grama Niladari posts in both districts are vacant while Grama Niladaris who are already there are ignorant of the voting process.

“The department of elections cannot keep on extending deadlines for voter registry revision, because there is not much time left for the local council election. Ultimately they will use the 2009 voter registry which is incomplete. A large number of people in the North and East lost their voting rights in the presidential and general elections this year and it will be unfortunate if there is a repeat performance two years after the war has ended”,he said.

© Lakbima News