PAFFREL prepare for Presidential Election 2005

The biggest and the premium election monitoring organization of Sri Lanka, PAFFREL, is now preparing for the upcoming presidential election which will be held on 17th November 2005.

The Commissioner of Elections has already granted PAFFREL the accreditation as election observers, which will enable PAFFREL observers to enter the polling stations and stay throughout the voting period.

This time too PAFFREL will mobilize nearly 20,000 local observers to cover over 10,000 polling stations. In addition those stationary observers, PAFFREL will use around 2000 mobile observers. PAFFREL has already started the training programmes at divisional level to mobilize those local observers and there will be 200 training session will be held throughout the country. Any eligible voter who as no affiliation to any political party or contesting candidates, can be a volunteer for this election observation mission. The recruitment is taking place at district level through PAFFREL district coordinators.  

PAFFREL has opened a medial monitoring unit which is to observe the behaviors and practices of TV, Radio and newspapers during the election period. The Media Monitoring Unit observes over 10 national newspapers, 5 TV channels and 5 radio FM everyday.

PAFFREL already deployed 10 long-term international election observers in 14 districts to observe the pre-election period. These observers have been observing the election campaigns and will observe the postal voting which will be held on 7th and 8th November. Moreover, PAFFREL has made arrangements to bring 100 international election observers for the election day. These observers will arrive Sri Lanka on 9th November and will stay I the country for a period of 12 days. They will be deployed to every district in the country to observe the election day, including the North and East.    

The next Press Conference of PAFFREL will be held on 2nd November to reveal the pre-election observation report.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PAFFREL handovers over 40 Interim Shelters

After the Tsunami catastrophe, PAFFREL started varies relief programmes due to the need of the society. Among them, building of Interim Shelters was one of the areas PAFFREL worked. By now, PAFFREL completed and handed over more than 40 Interim Shelters to the Tsunami victims in the Districts of Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee. For this work, CAFOD and HELVETAS Sri Lanka joined hand with PAFFREL and many other regional organizations engaged in the implementation process. Under the programme, PAFFREL build interim shelters in the Divisions of Kattankudi and Kalavanchikudi of Batticaloa; Nindavur and Kalmunai of Ampara and Kuchchaveli of Tricomalee. As a true people’s movement PAFFREL consider this programme is an achievement of people and grateful to those who contribute in different means for the programme.
 
PAFFREL Chairman Mr. Kingsley Rodrigo handing over the keys of an interim shelter to a tsunami victim of Kattankudi division, Batticaloa District. Mrs. Olwen Maynard, the representative of CAFOD handed over an interim shelter to a Muslim women in Kattankudi District. Ampara Nindaur, in shelter built newly a open Representative Lanka Sri HELVETAS
Donors, PAFFREL Chairman and activists resting in front of an Interim Shelter than built under PAFFREL reconstruction programme.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

“Dala Ralaka Chaya” – Tsunami Awareness Photographic Exhibition Travels Around the Country

 “Dala Ralaka Chaya” (The shadows of Tidal waves) is the photographic exhibition that PAFFREL organized in April 2005 to commemorate the 100 days after tsunami. The exhibition received a great response from the public including the wishes from Hon. Prime Minister and the Commissioner General of Essential Services.

Dala Ralaka Chaya exhibition that contains over 150 photographs depicts the tragedy of Tsunami, the statistical information and post-tsunami developments. Due to the overwhelming people’s response PAFFREL organized the same exhibition in May 2005, during the Vesak season in Bellanvila. So, Dala Ralaka Chaya exhibited for the second time at Bellanvila Temple premises from 22 – 24th May 2005. PAFFREL organized its local fundraising programme parallel to this exhibition and received a good courtesy from Rev. Bellanvila Vimalarathana Thero throughout the programme, who is the Chief Incumbent of the Bellanvila Temple.     

 
PAFFREL Chairman Mr. Kingsley Rodrigo observing the photographic at the Bellanvila exhibition.. Public were grateful to witness this exhibition that stimulate them to recollect the country’s biggest tragedy.   
 

PAFFREL received special invitation for our exhibition from the Ministry of Tourism to be exhibited in Anuradhapura, during the Poson season. So, PAFFREL again arranged Dala Ralaka Chaya exhibition at Anurahdapura Tourist Information Centre from 21st -25th June 2005. This time the exhibiting materials were enhanced by adding a TV programme of Survive from Tsunami, which was especially produced by Japanese specialist. The 1 hour TV programme was continuously played at the exhibition for the information of public. We also brought two special inventors who invented two different Tsunami Early Warning Systems and made arrangements them to explain their inventions to the public at the exhibition venue. PAFFREL also launched local fundraising events parallel to this exhibition and received a recordable response from the public. The five day exhibition which was open for day and night witnessed by many people and the number of spectators could be over 100,000 this time.
 

Exhibition hall entrance at Anurahdapura were always crowded. Dr. Sarath Wimalasuriya explaining his invention on Tsunami Early Warninig System to the public at the exhibition.