Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando said any foreigner not registered as an election observer cannot be in Eastern province during the polls.

Colombo, 03 May, (Asiantribune.com): The Commissioner of Elections has invited several international election monitoring organizations to engage in monitoring the eastern provincial council election.

The organizations include monitoring bodies of the Commonwealth, the European Union and the Asian Election Superintendents Association.

Monitors of the Asian Election Superintendents Association arrive in the island this Sunday. They will meet the political parties and independent groups contesting this month s election and local election monitors on Tuesday in Colombo.

Election monitoring groups will arrive in the districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara on the 8th of this month.

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dishanayake said the final report of the international election monitors will be handed over on the 12th of this month.

Every one looks so worried here today,, :((

wonder hwat happened!

The Commissioner of Elections has invited several international election monitoring organizations to engage in monitoring the eastern provincial council election.

The organizations include monitoring bodies of the Commonwealth, the European Union and the Asian Election Superintendents Association.

Colombo, 03 May, (Asiantribune.com): The Commissioner of Elections has invited several international election monitoring organizations to engage in monitoring the eastern provincial council election.
The organizations include monitoring bodies of the Commonwealth, the European Union and the Asian Election Superintendents Association.

Invited but did any from commonwealth and EU accept the invitation? No No No No... but what is intended to convey?

May 07, Colombo: Sri Lankan government is to employ heavy security measures in the Eastern Province ahead of the provincial elections on May 10th.

According to official government reports over 20,000 security personnel and around 15,000 polls officers will be deployed for election duties to ensure a free and fair election in the region. According to the officials violent incidents so far has been low reporting only 20 such incidents with the majority being minor.

Quoting DIG Rienzie Perera Government Information Department reported that 10,000 security personnel will be on polling duties in the Ampara district alone.

PAFFREL, the main election watchdog in Sri Lanka said they would deploy over 2,500 election monitors including over 20 foreign observers on the election day.

The largest number of voters, 409,308, is from Ampara district. A total of 330,950 voters are from Batticaloa district while 242,463 will go to polls from Trincomalee district. Voters will elect 44 from a total of 1,342 candidates from 18 political parties

Colombo revises decision to refuse AP coverage in Batticaloa

Associated Press of America (AP) Colombo Bureau Chief Ravi Nessman and staff photographer Gemunu Amarasinghe, who were in Batticaloa and asked to leave the area immediately as the Government of Sri Lanka had taken a decision not to allow foreigners, except the election monitors, to visit Batticaloa. The journalists were told Thursday afternoon that they would need Ministry of Defence clearance. However, soon after the news spread, the GoSL revised the decision and allowed the journalists to return to Batticaloa giving instructions they can only engage in election coverage, media activists in Colombo said.