I won't vote, says election chief

Dayananda Dissanayake: Six heart attacks but cannot retire

Sri Lanka's colourful election chief says he does not intend to vote in November's presidential election because he does not trust politicians.

Dayananda Dissanayake, 64, said he last voted in 1963. "Since I got to know politicians, I decided never to vote again," he said.

Mr Dissanayake leads a team of 100,000 officials for the 17 November vote.

He has had six heart attacks but a legal constraint has blocked his attempts to retire.

"I feel that even in the year 3000, I still won't be allowed to retire," he said.

'Constitutional aberration'

Of the last time he cast a ballot, Mr Dissanayake, said: "I voted at a village council election because I did not know much about politicians at the time."

I am getting immune to heart attacks as well as elections Dayananda Dissanayake

He joked that by not voting he would avoid the fate of main opposition presidential candidate Hector Kobbekaduwa in a 1982 election. Someone cast his vote by impersonating him.

Mr Dissanayake told journalists: "I know it would be your headline story if my vote was cast by someone else." By going public, he said he was ensuring that could not happen.

The number of elections the career civil servant has overseen is now in double figures and the November vote will be the fourth since he passed the age of retirement.

In 2003 the Supreme Court told Mr Dissanayake he could not retire because of a "constitutional aberration".

A constitutional amendment passed in 2001 called for a new election commission to be set up with more powers.

Mr Dissanayake has to stay in office until that has been completed.

The Supreme Court judges felt sorry for Mr Dissanayake but said they had no power to interfere.

"Since I went to the Supreme Court I have suffered another mild attack," Mr Dissanayake said.

"Now I think I am getting immune to heart attacks as well as elections."

Mr Dissanayake said Sri Lanka should look to India to find a model for an election commission.

"No-one points a finger at the election commissioner there. Here, everyone points a finger at me."