• Prisons Dept. seeks to defer mechanism till next election cycle

Authorities are yet to establish a functional mechanism to facilitate prisoners to cast their vote, despite the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), the Election Commission (EC), the Department of Prisons, and others discussing the process and possible measures, it is learnt. 

Meanwhile, it is learnt that due to the time constraints and a myriad of challenges faced, the Prisons department has sought to defer the mechanism till the next election cycle.

Last week, the HRCSL held a meeting with relevant authorities to discuss the practical obstacles to enabling eligible prisoners to vote. According to a statement issued by the HRCSL, key challenges identified include logistical constraints, security issues, and ensuring transparency in the voting process within prison facilities.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (8) a senior official from the Prisons Department indicated that no final agreement had been reached regarding the specific mechanisms for prisoner voting. The official noted that the Prisons Department had participated in the meeting as a stakeholder and suggested that the implementation of a voting mechanism for prisoners might be deferred until the next election cycle.

However, the Election Commission has previously stated that it does not oppose the establishment of a system by the Department of Prisons to allow eligible prisoners to vote in the upcoming election. The department recently remarked that without a court order or specific directives from institutions such as the EC, no prisoners will be able to cast their votes. EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake told The Daily Morning earlier that the commission had proposed an advanced voting system and the creation of polling centres within prison complexes to facilitate prisoner voting. Nonetheless, these proposals were not passed in Parliament.

The HRCSL spokesperson was unavailable for comment on the current status of the initiative.