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| PRESS RELEASE CMEV
Letter to the Commissioner of Elections 5th January, 2006 Commissioner
of Elections Rajagiriya Dear Sir, We have received 1550 complaints from persons who were deprived of their right to vote at the Presidential elections of November 2005 due to the fact that their names did not appear in the electoral register. 90% of the complaints were received from the Colombo District. The balance came from Districts outside Colombo. In the weeks after the elections, political parties as well as the media highlighted the fact that a substantial number of citizens had been deprived of their voting rights at the Presidential elections of 2005. According to our information, within the Colombo Municipal limits alone some 22000 persons at least were thus deprived of their franchise. From officials in your Department, we have learned that his situation was created because a large number of persons had not registered to vote in 2004 and thus their names did not appear in the electoral register for 2004 which was used as the basis of the Presidential elections of 2005. We are aware that the Electoral Register for 2005 is being compiled at present, and we have urged all those who addressed complaints to us to ensure that their names appear in this Register. We would like to take this opportunity to register our concern regarding the possibility that if local government elections are held in March 2006, as scheduled, on the basis of the Electoral Register of 2004, once more a substantial number of citizens will be deprived of their right to vote. We are writing to the Minister of Local Government in order to register the above concern, and trust that you will use your good offices to ensure that all future elections are conducted in a manner that ensures that all citizens wishing to cast their vote will be able to exercise their right to do so. Thank you.
Reply recieved from Commissioner of Elections Mr. Dayananda Dissanayake
on the above
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