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PAFFREL,
CMEV start campaign-monitoring task The two independent monitoring bodies, the People’s Action Front for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), and the Centre for Monitoring Elections Violence (CMEV) said they would deploy observers in all polling divisions with additional observers being stationed in violence-prone areas. Kingsley Rodrigo, Executive Director of PAFFREL which opened its divisional offices and district officers on Friday, told The Sunday Times that its offices would be open for 24 hours in some districts for people to lodge complaints. The PAFFREL chief said they had recruited 20,000 monitors, including 2,000 mobile monitors who would be deployed mainly in violence-prone areas. He said their officers would be joined by about 100 international monitors. “The foreign monitors comprising six teams will visit all parts of the country to asses the ground situation. They will meet officials, religious leaders, police and Deputy Election Commissioners in the districts. They will also carry out public awareness campaigns to stress the importance of a free and fair election,” Mr. Rodrigo said. CMEV director Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu said their organisation would deploy 30 observers in each polling division and this number would be increased to 200 on November 17, elections day — with the total strength being 5,000 observers. He
said the CMEV would also monitor the use of media by the candidates
and carry out a series of public awareness programmes to educate
the voters. Meanwhile, the Elections Department said it would invite 50 foreign monitors from the European Union and the Asian Election Authority to monitor the elections. |
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