OMFG, SF’s Vote
Sri Lanka never lacks for excitement. SF hasn’t voted yet. There are rumors than he can’t vote. There are a lot of people who can’t register, and the registration process is bureaucratic and opaque. But, well, so what. This is horrid PR, but it’s unclear whether it could even disqualify him from the Presidency. I don’t think so but I don’t know. State TV is hammering the hell out of this last minute surprise. The story here is that he’s waiting for an auspicious time. This is truly an Alice In Wonderland election.
Update: I heard he was just on TV saying that you don’t have to be a registered voter to run, just a citizen. Which may be true. But looks ridiculous. I completely understand and think it’s actually, ok, but this is still a historical kindi.
Anush is saying “SF had previously voted via postal votes as he was in the Army. But since retiring, no longer a govt servant, postal vote rescinded” on Twitter. This may be it.
If he wins I don’t think it’ll affect his oath, it just looks ridiculous. But turnout doesn’t quite look that way. But then, I don’t really know which way is up anymore.
This is gonna get you guys a hell of bad PR mate.
This sounds so bad..
From what I understand is the according to the SL constitution there are only 2 reasons that a person/candidate is would be ineligible to run for President in Sri Lanka:
1) Having completed two terms as president of SL (a’la Chandrika)
2) Not being a citizen of Sri Lanka
Looks like this eligibility factor is the last card for Weerawansa and the rest of the barking dogs. That said, it’s not a great PR situation but hardly detrimental as theres only a couple of hours of polling to go, with most people casting their vote early…
All in all, If voting is (mostly) free & fair & no-one looses their lives, then it’s a good day.
SF has admitted that he does not have a valid vote.
Looks like you have been taken for a ride.
Change. What a joke! So sad that so many people fell for it.
How clumsy ! Not a good precedent for someone trying to become a head of state.
According to the Daily Mirror:
Common opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka speaking to Daily Mirror Online a short while ago said the he was fully qualified to contest the Presidential Elections despite rumors circulating to the contrary although he could not caste his vote.
General Sarath Fonseka says that although he had registered himself in the 2008 voter registration list he has not been granted a vote.
“I want the people to know that I am fully qualified under article 13 of the constitution to contest for the Presidential Election,” the candidate said.
He requested voters to not be misled in any way by the false information propagated by the government. “I am a citizen of this country which is why I was the Chief of Defence Staff and the Army Commander. I want the people to not be misled by the mudslinging campaign of the government but to caste their vote with confidence,” he told Daily Mirror Online a short while ago.
Bad scene. I don’t think it would affect his oaths if he wins (tho the Constitution is vague)
Its completely understandable on a human level and a lot of good people get disenfranchised. Howevers, OMFG KINDI.
I think the Elections Commissioner is going on TV
So SF doesn’t have a vote. Surely he would have known this at least a week ago. And NO ONE said or did anything about it??? WHAT THE FUCK?!?
This is a laugh.. :)
At least SF could have told people about this. He could have mentioned it ages ago, and that would have shown that he is sincere. He was surrounded by all these lawyers and politicians, surely someone would have known that Fonseka did not have a vote.