Aug 05, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Elections Commissioner, Mahinda Deshapriya has ruled out the possibility of having foreign election monitors for the upcoming Provincial Council polls.

Deputy Commissioner of Elections M.M. Mohamed has said that the Election Commissioner has informed his decision at a meeting held with secretaries of contesting parties and the leaders of independent groups at the Election Secretariat on Friday (August 03).

Although some opposition parties have called for the need to seek the assistance of foreign monitors, the Election Commissioner has said that elections can be held independently without the assistance of foreign election monitors.

The major Tamil party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has recently called on the Election Commissioner to deploy international monitors to monitor the polls of the Eastern Provincial Council. Meanwhile, the Election Secretariat said the Lists of the Local Voters have been posted on the Internet and any registered voter can obtain information on line at www.slelections.gov.lk, using the National Identity Card (NIC) number.

Additional Commissioner of Elections, R. M. A. L. Rathnayake has said that the relevant information was entered into the Internet in the presence of party secretaries and independent group leaders competing contesting in the polls.

The elections for North central, Sabaragamuwa and Eastern Provincial Councils will be held on September 08, 2012.