The Elections Department is expected this week to issue an order to destroy all documents printed for the previously scheduled national referendum on constitutional change.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga last month put off the referendum, first scheduled for August 21 and subsequently postponed to October 18. The decision rendered useless millions of ballot papers, printed by the government at the cost of more than Rs. 22 million. They were being stored under stringent security at district offices and will now be destroyed.

"Those papers are useless," said on assistant district commissioner of elections. "Even the small boutiques can’t use it to sell peanuts because they are too small."(NW)