Ballot boxes for the Tuesday presidential election are being sent with police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) escorts from the District Secretariats in Jaffna and Vavuniyaa in the presence of election officers to the polling booths from Monday morning. Meanwhile, government has declared Wednesday, the day following presidential election day, as public holiday and countrywide curfew is expected to be imposed on Thursday, according to instructions given to police authorities, sources in Jaffna said.
Jaffna Government Agent (GA) said that nearly 3000 police personnel have been deployed in election duties in Jaffna peninsula alone.
There are altogether 7,21,389 registered voters in Jaffna electoral district which includes Ki’linochchi where there are 90,811 registered voters, according to Jaffna GA.
624 polling booths have been erected in Jaffna peninsula and 92 in Ki’linochchi, he said.
More than 45 temporary polling booths have been set up to serve the IDPs and people displaced due to SLA High Security Zones, he added.
Meanwhile, more than 13,483 temporary identity documents were issued Monday in Jaffna peninsula to those who were not in possession of the five types of identity documents, including National Identity Card and passport, accepted by the government.
Arrangements have been made to take the ballot boxes from the polling booths in Maullaiththeevu and Ki’linochchi electoral divisions in helicopters to Vavuniyaa and Jaffna due to the insecurity in transporting them through A9 route, the sources said.
It is also learnt that police personnel will deployed for duty in the polling booths in North and East and SLA soldiers will be posted 500m from the polling booths.
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