FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – The cabinet of ministers in Sri Lanka has approved a proposal to eliminate the practice of marking voters with indelible ink by amending existing laws that mandate this procedure, according to Minister Nalinda Jayatissa.
Currently, Sri Lankan voters are required to present a valid photo identification to verify their identity, after which a finger is marked with indelible ink to prevent instances of multiple voting.
Minister Jayatissa expressed to the media that maintaining two separate methods for the same purpose complicates the efficiency of operations at polling stations and incurs unnecessary costs for the government.
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He noted that other populous nations, such as India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, employ similar systems to combat voter fraud.
The government plans to repeal the legal requirements in five electoral acts that stipulate the marking of voters with indelible ink, as stated by Jayatissa.
Sri Lanka has delayed provincial elections, with the general secretary of the ruling party recently claiming that funds designated for these elections were redirected for cyclone relief efforts, a statement he later had to retract.
