The Commissioner of Elections has received 7,047 applications from displaced voters to exercise their franchise at the forthcoming polls to the Jaffna Municipal Council.

Action is being taken to set up special Polling Stations for displaced voters in the Districts of Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Anuradhapura and Puttalam, Additional Commissioner of Elections (Provincial and Local) W. P. Sumanasiri said yesterday.

He said the delivery of postal voting packets to certifying officers will take place on July 15 with marking of postal votes due to be held on July 27 and 28.

He said that the delivery of Polling Cards would begin on July 21 with a special delivery on August 2.

The Assistant Commissioner of Elections for the Jaffna District P. Kuhanathan said that there are 100,417 registered voters in the Jaffna MC area.

He said that 473 postal voting applications were received of which 335 were accepted.

He said that 172 candidates from four Political Parties, the UNP, UPFA, TULF and the ITAK and two independent Groups are in the fray to elect 21 members for the 23-member Jaffna MC with two Bonus seats.

Nominations of the SLMC and one Independent Group were rejected. The numbers of the candidates and their Identity Cards are in the process of being issued, Kuhanathan explained.

He said that 70 applications had been received from persons displaced from Kilinochchi. "As a result of the conflict and as they are residents living within Jaffna MC area we will set up a special polling booth at Ariyalai".

The Assistant Commissioner of Elections for the Vavuniya district A. S. Karunanidhi said there are 24,626 voters in Vavuniya UC area.

He said that all together 135 candidates from six Political Parties, the ITAK, UPFA , UNP, DPLF, SLPF and the SLMC are in the fray along with three Independent Groups to elect 11 members to Vavuniya UC.

He said that 197 applications were received for postal voting of which 183 were accepted.

A staff of 500 elections officials were selected for training along with Senior Presiding Officers on July 7. Training for Grama Niladharis and Postal Vote Certifying officers will follow on July 8 and Training for assistant returning Officers (AROs) and Chief Counting Officers on July 9, he said.

Arrangements are being made to set up 18 Polling Stations and three counting centers including one for counting of Postal votes, Karunanidhi noted.