Eastern Provincial Council Elections Int. Observers take the stuffing out of allegations
…Say polls conducted in orderly manner

The verdict of the International polls observer group, which monitored Saturday’s Eastern Provincial Council Polls, is that the elections were conducted peacefully and in an orderly manner. There was no stuffing of ballot boxes, the group of 17 observers was from the Association of Asian Election Authority Observer Mission said yesterday.

Addressing a press conference in Colombo, Deputy Chairman of Election Observer Commission Group C – Trincomalee District - General Ayub Assil said the international observers represented 10 countries who were not under the influence of anybody but were keen to see the progress of Sri Lanka.In Trincomalee District everything was in order and no complaints at all, he said. One of the most encouraging features was to see more than 70 women in the queue to vote. It was a pleasant and positive sign for a better future.

AAEA Coordinator/ Commissioner and International Observer Group leader Ming-Hwa Tsai said that the success of the Elections should be attributed to the people of Sri Lanka, particularly the people of the Eastern Province Districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara, for showing their understanding of the importance of the electoral process and their enthusiasm and commitment to the democratic process.

She said that the fact that the people themselves embraced the elections was absolute proof that elections were indeed free and fair.

(Courtesy : The Island )