Feb 18 (IL) By virtue of powers vested in him, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has decided to cancel polls in any polling station where corruption takes place and hold fresh elections in those areas within two weeks.
Accordingly, the results of the relevant polling districts will not be released until fresh elections of the polling stations are over, sources said.
They said the Elections Commissioner's decision was conveyed to all District Secretaries and Assistant Elections Commissioners at a special discussion on Saturday.
The procedure so far adopted was to cancel the ballots of polling stations where corruption had taken place and to release the results of the polling district concerned. The Supreme Court had decided that this course of action had violated the fundamental rights of voters in poling stations where the ballots were cancelled.
The decision to hold fresh elections in polling stations concerned was taken for the first time in a bid to prevent injustice being caused to any voter.
