Refugees in Sri Lanka 'may not get the chance to vote'
21/12/2009
Sri Lankan refugees may lose their right to vote in the first election since the crushing of the Tamil Tigers rebel group, it has been claimed.
According to election monitors, the procedures put in place to ensure that those in the refugee camps can register to vote are inefficient, reported Reuters.
"Up to 95 per cent of IDP's (internally displaced persons) might be deprived of their voting rights at the presidential elections as a proper mechanism has not been in place," Keerthi Thennakoon, from the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections, told the news agency.
However, the issue may be resolved if authorities step up their efforts to improve the situation, he continued.
This news comes after the global group Transparency International called upon Sri Lanka's leaders to do more to secure the future of its people, VOA News reported last week.
The group highlighted corruption as being a particular problem within the ranks of the government.
Written by Simon Bassett
