April Polls: IDPs To Get The Silent Treatment Again
By Cassandra Mascarenhas
Tens of thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) may not be able to vote at the April parliamentary election, just as in January’s presidential poll, election monitors said.
Even the IDPs whose names are included in the 2008 electoral list have problems, as most of the people do not possess identification cards. The Department of Elections has announced that temporary cards are to be issued so that all people will be able to vote.
The Elections Commissioner, Dayananda Dissanayake, has also promised the election monitors that he will look into the situation of the IDPs and will take measures to ensure that the problems they faced during the presidential election, such as the issues with transportation to and from polling booths, will not be repeated this time around.
People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has requested the Commissioner to set up a Help Desk for the IDPs; however, the Commissioner has yet to get back to them.
“If we get a response to this, we plan to set up this desk next week if possible, as it is important that the IDPs are clear on the procedure to be followed when voting,” said PAFFREL Director Rohana Hettiarachchi.
The Director of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) Dr. Paikiasothi Saravanamuttu explained that the CMEV is currently concentrating on keeping the IDPs informed about their voting rights and the procedures that should be followed during the voting itself.
“Our main concern right now is to make sure that the problems that occurred during the presidential election, such as the lack of transport to get to the polling stations, do not happen this time around as well.
Arrangements have once again been made to provide the people with transport and inform them about the procedure to be followed”, he said.
Government do not like these people voting the are more safe if these voters are excluded so why worry.
Why bother with this sharade.
Long live King Mahinda!
…part of Basil Horapukka’s master plan….
EDWARD,
wow….ur attitude shows that sri lanka gonna develop soon.
this country suffered 30 years of war coz of racists like u and the poison in ur heart is still asking for more blood shed?
the blood shed for 3o years isnt enough?
tell me one reason, y u think its SAFE if MINORITIES r denied from their right to VOTE?
Why is Paikiyasothy getting involved in informing voters of their rights? He is there to monitor Elections violence and by the CMEV’s own admisson (Sunila and Sunanda) they never see any violence because they ask their monitors to leave the areas where there is violence. This is in answer to a question I put at a press briefing after the Palathalawinna case. If they do monitor the violence can they explain how many cases have their mo,itors have given evidence in and the number of convictionsthat arose from their evidence. If they complain that their offices and “officers” are under surveillance the reason is that they are frauds and though they have very high sounding titles they are ripping donors off. I can be summoned to court whenever.
It is the duty of the government and all interested in free and fair polls to inform citizen voters of their rights. Paikiyasothy is doing the correct thing as a service to these IDPs who can be misled by those who want to sabotage their voting rights.
O fcourse, yes. These are terribly truamatised people who ahve suffred immensely. They need to be informed of their rights which have been trampeld upon for decades. It’ll be good idea to also give each of them a glass of milk, if possible.
First we have to send Dayananada home. He is now playing for MR and Co. He might have got some special treatment after the presidential poll. So he also won’t worry about this.
Dear Kugan,
I may be a racist. But people in Wanni have the firsthand experience and knowledge of the war. How many of their children are still in prison. They themselves are in incarcerated in camps or open prison adequate food, medical care education for their childern to earn their livelihooh
ya right,
adequate food,medical care and education???
who said its adequate?
even if its adequate,
how can u detain them for so long, for one year?
more than all these, people need human rights.
the government trying to create more LTTE from the 300,000.
thats wat is happening..
and even SF lost the elections and only god knows when they r going to live freely.
Dear Kugan,
I may be a racist. But people in Wanni have the firsthand experience and knowledge of the war. How many of their children are still in prison. They themselves are in incarcerated in camps or open prison without adequate food, medical care education for their childern ,to earn their livelihood, houses and property are destroyed and not even enough relief supplies. And now added to these retired Sinhala soldiers are settled there. We can add many more. They are not fools. People who forget the past are condemed to re-live it. They will not take into account the properganda of the Government like you.
If the voting rights of the IDPs are deprived, govt is simply opening the door
to international criticism.
MR & Clan want to do this deliberately to their advantage.
IT WILL BE THE SAME STORY AGAIN. SPECIAL IDENTITY CARDS AND TRANSPORT PROMISED, BUT ON ELECTION DAY IT WILL NOT BE THERE.
AND OUR ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER WILL MAKE THREATS, BUT
TAKE NO ACTION. AND WILL HAVE HIS EXPLANATIONS. THEN WE HAVE “PAFFREL”,”CMEV”, AND “CAFFE” WHO WILL COME OUT WITH THEIR USUAL OBSERVATIONS. IN RETOSPECT, IF I WAS TO LIST OUT THOSE WHO HAVE LANDED US IN THIS “POLL” MESS, IT WILL BE CHANDRIKA AND ALL THAT CAME AFTER THAT, WITH THE HELP OF A CHEAP JUSTICE, AND THE ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER. AS BUDDHISTS, I WONDER WHAT THEY WILL BE WHEN THEY ARE REBORN. !!!!!!!!!!
THEIR REBIRTH WILL BE AS “FROGS”
governenemt always put the cart before the horse .it is a prevelage of anybody irrespective of their race,caste or religion to enjoy their franchise, but government has not taken adequate steps to issue identity cards to IDPs well ahead of the election so that they can caste their votes .who should take the esponsibilityif violating rights of people?
The Tamils never vote in elections. Why bother giving them voting rights? The Tamils should think of rebuilding their lives after their brothers destroyed their livelihood. They should keep away from Sri Lankan politics.
If tamils keep out of elections, they will lose more ,they wont get
the help from the state sector, such as schooling for children, samurdi, etc
tamils should keep away from sri lankan politics?
u mean tamils r not sri lankans?
Kalag! Racists like you will be punished by God soon!