Govt. rules out foreign polls observers

13 July 2013 03:15 am Views - 4287

The government yesterday ruled out the need to bring in international polls observers in view of the forthcoming elections to the Northern, Central and North Western Provincial Councils.

Ruling UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha told journalists yesterday after a meeting with Elections Commissioner that political parties should have confidence in the local mechanisms in this case, instead of seeking international support for everything.   

Mr. Premajayantha said some opposition parties with vested interests had called for international polls observers to be deployed particularly in the North.

“Why can’t we rely on our own system for them? We ourselves can monitor elections,” he said.

Asked about requests to confine the military to the barracks in the north in view of the election, he said, “Military personnel are already in the barracks.  We have gone to the north. All civil affairs are handled by the police, not the military. Soldiers are always in their barracks,” he said adding that he was in charge of election affairs in the north on behalf of the UPFA.

“We have finalized the nomination lists for the electoral districts in the north. There were nomination boards appointed for each province where the election has been declared, “he said. (Kelum Bandara)