From the CMEV Media Communique 1:
CMEV is gravely concerned by reports that mobile telecommunication access to and from the east will be suspended from tomorrow, polling day. Were this to be the case, it would be an arbitrary restriction on the access and right to information of all citizens and of citizens in the east, in particular, on the day of their provincial polls. Given that political parties and monitors have expressed their fears about the freeness and fairness of the provincial poll, such a restriction, if implemented, would only serve to reinforce these fears and adversely impact on the credibility of the poll.
Accordingly, CMEV calls upon the Election Commissioner to take the speedy action necessary to ensure that such a violation of democratic rights does not take place.
It won’t be the first time the government has shut off mobiles and curtailed communications in the East, but this time around, I wonder what their excuse will be?
May 10, 2008 at 9:00 am
[...] are getting most of our updates from mobile phone, which is going to create some problem if the government decides to block mobile phone communications (again) today. Posted by Sanjana Hattotuwa Filed in ICT in general Tags: CMEV, Eastern Province [...]