As the campaigning period for Elpitiya’s Local Government polls lapsed yesterday, legal action would be taken against anyone who continues them in the area, Galle District Deputy Election Commissioner K.U. Chandralal told the Daily News.
Twenty-eight councillors are to be elected to local government bodies on October 11. Seventeen of them are to be elected according to electoral wards, while the rest would be chosen according to proportional representation, he said.
When nominations were called last year for the election, five recognised political parties; including the United National Party, United People’s Freedom Alliance, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Democratic United Front, and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna; had tendered their nominations, Chandralal said.
Subsequently, in consideration of an objection raised against the nomination submitted by the Democratic United Front, the nominations were rejected by the Returning Officer, he added.
The Democratic United Front later filed a case in the Supreme Court for an order directing the Returning Officer to accept their nominations and appealed for an interim order suspending corresponding election until a decision was taken over their complaint, the Deputy Election Commissioner said.
The Supreme Court then issued an interim order suspending the election on January 30, last year. Consequently, the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha election, which was to be held on February 10, 2018, was postponed, he added.
However, the Supreme Court withdrew the suspension order last October and redirected the Election Commission to conduct the election on October 11, this year, Chandralal said.
The total number of eligible voters for the Elpiitiya local government polls is 53,384. Voting is to be held at 47 polling centres.
Votes are to be counted at the polling centres and the final results would be acknowledged at the Chief Election Monitoring Centre at the Elpitiya Vocational Training Institute, he added. Galle District Returning Officer Somarathna Vidanapathirana said that measures have been taken to hold a free and fair election.
Eight hundred police officers are to be deployed for election duty and precautionary measures have been planned for any emergency, he added.
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