Leader of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake has urged the Commissioner of Elections to explore ways and means of enabling over one million Sri Lankan expatriate workers to vote at national level elections.

JVP wants voting rights for expatriate Lankan voters

By Franklin R. Satyapalan

Leader of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake has urged the Commissioner of Elections to explore ways and means of enabling over one million Sri Lankan expatriate workers to vote at national level elections.

The JVP said its leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake had made that proposal when he, together with a party delegation, met Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya at the Elections Secretariat last Friday.

The duo had discussed the prevailing situation in the run-up to the UVA PC election and some amendments which the Commissioner proposed to bring to the Elections Act, the JVP said.

Meanwhile, Muslim political parties such as Sri Lanka Muslim Congress led by Minister Rauff Hakeem, All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) led by Minister Rishad Bathuideen and the National Congress (NC) led by Minister A. L. M. Atahullah are scheduled to meet the Elections Commissioner at the Elections secretariat this morning (2).

It would be followed by a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (ITAK) led by its leader Parliamentarian R. Sampanthan meeting the Commissioner at 11.45 am. Finally, EPDP leader Minister Douglas Devananda will lead a delegation at a meeting with the Commissioner in the evening.

Earlier the former Journalist and Group leader of the Democratic Party in the Western Provincial Council Susil Kindalpitiya proposed at a meeting with the Commissioner of Elections that special provisions be made for journalists from print, electronic and the broadcast media to cast their vote.

Earlier at the invitation of the Commissioner a delegation from the Democratic Party (DP) met him last Wednesday. A delegation from the United National Party (UNP) met him on Thursday morning, followed by a delegation of Lawyers representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) meeting him in the evening, according to Deputy Commissioner of Elections (Administration ) M. M. Mohammad.

Additional Commissioner of Elections (Provincial and Local Elections) R. N. A. L. Ratnayake were also present at these deliberations the Commissioner of Elections had with the political parties.

The Election Commissioner’s reform proposals included a ceiling on campaign expenditure by candidates and expenditure on advertisements in the print, broadcast and the electronic media.

Source - island.lk/index.php