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Call to grant civic rights to recent Indian origin workers
By Shelani Perera
The Ceylon Workers Congress is to call for a special amendment to the Citizenship Bill, enabling persons of Indian origin to be represented in local bodies. The appeal was made after it was found that some 300,000 persons of Indian origin who gained citizenship would not be eligible to vote at the forthcoming provincial council elections as they have not been registered in the 2002 voter register.

The CWC made representations to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stating that under the 13th Amendment 40,000 persons are entitled to be represented by one member in a local body.

CWC Parliamentarian S Yogaraja told The Sunday Times that it is important that people of Indian origin be given their right and added the party will be doing everything possible for them. ‘ We are keen that these people are given voting rights without delay as they are citizens and have all the right to vote. I met the Prime Minister in this regard who agreed that the people should be given voting rights. Amendments will be made to the 1989 Act pertaining to Registration of Electors’ he said.

Under this Act persons who qualified for Sri Lankan citizenship included any person of Indian origin who had been a permanent resident of the country since October 30, 1964 or is a descendant, resident in Sri Lanka of a person who has been a permanent resident of Sri Lanka since the said date.

Mr. Yogaraja added that the amendment will be brought in as soon as possible in a bid to allow the persons to be registered in the 2003 voter register.

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