indi.ca

Update: The elections commissioner has just confirmed that he’s eligible to run, should be on MTV shortly

Sarath Fonseka is not registered to vote. I think this may be because his vote was postal while he was in the military. By the time he decided to run in November it was too late to get on the 2008 registry (the deadline is 28th January I think, at least it is for the 2009 register). Even if he was military he still would’ve registered, but I dunno.

I think the registration is unfair, people who are 18 now, for example, can’t wrote because they wouldn’t be on the 2008 roll. There are a lot of people who can’t register. Under the Constitution I’m pretty sure he just needs to be a citizen. I heard that you need to be registered for local government but not for provincial council, but that’s over the phone.

The Constitution is vague, saying “Any citizen who is qualified to be elected to the office of President may be nominated as a candidate for such office”, with those particular qualifications being unmentioned. So I think it’s just that he can’t vote, not that he can’t run.

This is something we understand or sympathize with when it happens to us or family. But it’s quite unprofessional from a candidate. But this is the tied together swan UNP/JVP candidate we tried to ride across the finish line. And he just might make it. I must say, I am a mess as well, but still a good person, and we all mess up our paperwork. But damn, it looks bad. And feels bad. Another day in the teledrama.