Military to provide security for counting centres

• There will be Police security at the centres. Mr. Deshapriya said, Military personnel would be deployed to patrol the vicinity of the counting centres for additional security

By Kelum Bandara  

The military will be deployed within a radius of one kilometre of each counting centre after polling on August 5 to provide security, an official said.   

The Election Commission officials will commence counting of ballot papers only in the morning of August 6 instead of the customary practice of counting which used to commence on the same night after polling closed.   
The Commission’s Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya told journalists recently that the ballot boxes would be inserted into bigger cardboard boxes and sealed with stickers certified by polling agents. Subsequently, they will be transported to counting centres to be kept overnight till counting commences on the following day.    Two agents from each party and an independent group will be allowed to stay at counting centres.