8. Amendment of section 12 of the principal enactment

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

Section 12 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows:—

(1)

in subsection (1) of that section, by the addition immediately after the proviso to that section of the following:—

"Provided further,

(i)

each ward of a local authority shall be deemedto be a polling area for the purposes of an election to that local authority; and

(ii)

each ward shall be identified by a name andan alphabetical letter in English.;

(2)

by the repeal of subsection (2) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection :—

“(2) The district returning officer shall—

(a)

divide the polling area of a local authority, into one or more polling districts in accordance with directions as may be issued by the Commissioner;

(b)

assign to each polling district a distinguishing letter or letters;

(c)

determine with respect to each such polling district, the location in which the polling station in respect of that district shall be situated; and

(d)

publish in the Gazette, a notice containing the particulars referred to in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) above.”;

(3)

by the insertion immediately after subsetion (2) of that section, of the following new subsections:—

“(2A) Unless the Commissioner directs, otherwise the division of a polling area into polling districts shall be so made, that each polling district at the time of such division, shall consist of not more than one thousand five hundred voters.

(2B)

Subject to the provisions of subsection (2A), the division of a polling area into polling districts may be altered by the district returning officer as the occasion may require, and upon such alteration being made, he shall publish in the Gazette a notice specifying the particulars referred to in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subsection (2) and the date on which such alteration shall come into effect.

(2C)

A notice published in the Gazette under paragraph (d) of subsection (2) or under subsection (3), as the case may be, may be amended from time to time in regard to the particulars referred to in paragraph (c) of subsection (2) which is required to be specified in that notice, after notifying to the public of the proposed amendments in such manner as the Commissioner may determine, and after giving an opportunity to the public for making representations in regard to the proposed amendments.”; and

(4)

by the substitution in subsection (3) of that section, for the words “one polling station and no more.”, of the words “not less than one polling station.”.

Read on from s 9