22.
(1) The returning officer shall, as soon as may be after the conclusion of the proceedings under section 20, publish a notice in the Gazette specifying"
| | (a) the administrative district in which the election is contested ; | | |
| | (b) the names of the candidates, placed in alphabetical order in Sinhala, of each recognized political party, or independent group, the serial number assigned to each such candidates, the approved symbol allotted to such party or group, and in the case of an independent group the words "Independent Group" and the distinguishing number if any ; | | |
| | (c) the date of poll, such date being any day other than a Full Moon Poya day or any public holiday specified in the First Schedule to the Holidays Act, No. 29 of 1971, and being a date not less than five weeks or more than eight weeks from the date of publication of the notice ; | | |
| | (d) the situation of the polling station or stations for each of the polling districts in the administrative district and the particular polling station, if any, reserved for female voters. | | |
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(2) If, after the publication of the notice referred to in subsection (1), the day specified in such notice is declared to be a public holiday, such declaration shall in no way affect the validity of anything done on such day for the purposes of the election. |
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(3) Unless the returning officer considers it necessary or expedient in the special circumstances of any case to provide a separate polling station for the female voters of any polling district, there shall be for each polling district one polling station and no more. |
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(4) The polling station or stations for each polling district shall be situated within such polling district save where the returning officer, having regard to the special circumstances in any polling district, may decide upon a polling station outside such polling district. The location of the polling station shall be such as to cause the minimum inconvenience to the electors of the polling district. |
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(5) Where due to any emergency it is necessary that the situation of any polling station should be different from that specified in a notice published under subsection (1) the returning officer may cause the situation of that station to be altered in such manner as he may, in his absolute discretion, determine. |
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(6) Where at an election of members of a Provincial Council from the administrative districts within the province for which that Provincial Council is established, due to any emergency or unforeseen circumstances the poll in any such administrative district cannot be taken on the day specified in the notice published under subsection (1), the Commissioner may, by notice published in the Gazette, appoint another day for the taking of the poll in such administrative district and in every other administrative district within that province, such other day being a day not earlier than the fourteenth, day after the publication of the notice In Gazette. |
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