Its Election Time Again — Sri Lanka’s Favourite Past Time
By Raisa Wickrematunge
Each election has its own unique properties. This time of course, we have everyone from cricketers to athletes to teledrama actresses contesting. In fact, an unprecedented number of candidates with little or no political experience have decided to jump on the political bandwagon. Perhaps the foray of a retired General into presidential politics was the catalyst for this movement.
In any case, as the country is steadily plastered over with posters and cutouts, let’s take a minute to examine the facts and figures that make up General Election 2010.
7620 Number of candidates who have signed up for the political merry-go-round, according to Additional Commissioner, Elections Department, W. P Sumanasiri. That’s a lot of candidates. In fact, that’s a huge leap, when you compare it to…
5698 The number of candidates who registered to run at the 2004 general elections.
36 The number of political parties contesting this time.
301 Number of independent candidates, as opposed to…
192 Number of independent candidates in the 2004 elections.
127 Number of election-related incidents as of March 25, including assault and misuse of state property (figures by CAFFE)
46 Number of direct elections law violations as at the date above – according to CAFFE.
15 Incidents involving misuse of state property (CAFFE)
100 Number of times Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has called for a free and fair election.
11098 Number of polling booths that will be set up around the country so that the people can exercise their basic right to vote.
45957 Total number of IDPs in Jaffna, the Wanni, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara, to name a few, who are qualified to vote.
416419 Total number of eligible postal voters at this election.
61691 Number of rejected postal votes.
22851 Number of votes rejected because of delays in sending in the application form before the deadline.
43281 Number of postal voters registered in Kurunegala, the highest number in any district.
3000 Number of Duminda Silva posters around Colombo.
06 Number of times main Opposition party UNP has won the general elections since independence
15000 Number of posters featuring a politician carrying a child/hugging the elderly.
There you have it — a laundry list of (mostly) factual figures which make up the general election 2010. Come April 8, it will certainly be interesting to see how many of the 7000 plus candidates make the cut.
Colombo municipality is to gift dust bins to every house,timely action to put the discards for quick removal to champika’s promised new dumping ground.
Dont worry, a mudalai will be getting ready to buy the dustbin from the househoder.
First we have to educate our guys otherwise they will sell it. This happened before.
Are you the person from ANGODA.
You have to add;
The Sunday Leader is a Catholic Newspaper
Editor you’ve got it all wrong… Election Time Again — Sri Lanka’s Favourite Past Time. No this business big money and mega deals.Dirt collects where dirt is and you must throw money but not invest, to earn money.Our nation have a lot generous individuals throwing so much caring for its cirizens a real rare breeth to find.Or is that aim of winning that lottery to parliment for their “suba anagarhayak” and generations to come.Time has being telling over and over again how history repeats all over again in sunny Sri Lanka.
For the last year or two we hear nothing but elections! The Sri Lankan public is sick of
election campaigns and voting. Whoever win we beg all those in power not to hold any elections atleast for another six years. As rightly said in the headline eiither we are watching cricket or election meetings. Everything has come to a stand still in the country. All what we hear is promises from all sides. One is promising Rs. 3500/- salary increase and the other who promised straight away Rs. 10,000/- increase spending his time as the guest of the Navy! Please leave us in peace come April 8 all these nonsense should come to an end. nough is enough!