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EC: ‘Poll campaign notably peaceful’
Five candidates, 120 supporters arrested for election law violations
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Police had so far arrested five candidates contesting the upcoming 14 November General Elections, along with 120 of their supporters over various breaches of election laws, Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa told The Island on Wednesday (30).
Among those arrested were five candidates and 120 supporters. About 31 vehicles used by those contestants at the time of transgression were also taken into custody. Additionally, the police have removed over 500,000 posters illicitly put up by candidates.
Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake described the election campaign as notably peaceful and urged candidates to maintain the same high standard over the next two weeks. “Our primary issue has been the election posters, and we have instructed relevant authorities to remove them promptly,” he said.
Meanwhile, postal voting for the parliamentary elections began on 30 October, at polling centres across the nation. According to the Election Commission, postal voting will take place at designated government locations, including police stations, district secretariats, and district election offices. The postal voting that commenced yesterday will continue on 1 and 4 November.
Election Commission Chairman R. M. A. L. Ratnayake announced that out of the 759,210 postal voting applications, 20,551 had been rejected.
The Election Commission said that over 13,000 polling stations and more than 2,000 counting centres would be set up nationwide for the 14 November parliamentary elections, which were called after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved Parliament last month. Among these, the Gampaha District will have the highest number of polling stations, totalling 1,212, while the Mannar District, with the fewest registered voters, will have 108 polling stations for its 90,607 voters.
In the Colombo District, 1,204 polling stations will serve 1,765,351 registered voters. The Gampaha District, with 1,881,129 registered voters, will have 1,212 polling stations, while the Kalutara District will have 735 polling stations for its 1,024,240 voters. All in all, 17,430,354 voters across Sri Lanka are eligible to participate in the parliamentary election.
There will be 2,034 counting centres to manage the tally of votes.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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