The Election Commission has refuted allegations over its officials’ conduct, during the counting of preferential votes at the recently concluded presidential election.
Speaking during a televised program Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said that he cannot accept the SJB’s charges that its party members were not allowed to witness the counting of preferential votes.
“When the letters of appointment are given to party representatives who monitor the counting of ballots, it is with the expectation that they will remain at the counting centres throughout the lengthy process, like all other officials involved in the process,” Ratnayake said.
Stressing on the importance of officials’ conduct at counting centres, Ratnayake said that it is not acceptable for anyone to keep walking in and out of counting centres.
“While the conduct of election officials is the responsibility of our officers, the conduct of party representative lies with the respective political party,” he explained.
Ratnayake said that when the counting of preferential votes commenced, it was not the responsibility of the election commission officials to inquire into each individual’s presence. “The only difference is that if there were any persons whose presence was not required, we would have removed those persons from the premises,” he said.
The response comes after the SJB said that legal concerns have emerged regarding the counting of preferential votes during the 2024 presidential election.
The SJB charged that there was no prior announcement regarding the commencement of preferential vote counting. (Newswire)
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