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Brisk voting in Eastern Province, lighter turnout in other provinces
Thousands of voters in the Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces went to the polls yesterday to elect representatives to the three provincial councils in these areas. With over 3.3 million registered voters, people voted at 3,247 polling stations to elect their representatives to the PCs.
Brisk voting turnout was reported from Batticaloa. Pic by Luxman Adhiran
There was brisk voting in the Districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara (Digamadulla) yesterday as elections were held to elect 35 members to the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC), the first since the war ended.
In the Ampara district, there was a heavy turnout with people lining up at booths since voting began at 7 a.m. By noon yesterday, voter turnout had exceeded 50 per cent in this district while in the Trincomalee and Batticaloa Districts the voter turnout was around 35 per cent.
Of all three areas the election campaign in the East has been the most intense, where in the truly multi-ethnic and multi-religious electorate, both the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has had to contest against strong contenders, namely the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) too had campaigned vigorously in the East.
Due to the volatility in the Eastern Province, where the number of incidents of pre-election law violations were recorded, Police and a strong military presence were visible A few minor incidents of election law violations were reported and these included an attack on two SLMC supporters in Pulmoddai, the arrest of an impersonator at Kinniya and the detection of a group of persons attempting to illegally transport alcohol in the Uppuveli area.
In the North Central Province, voting picked up in both the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Districts towards afternoon after a slow start ending up over 45 per cent by afternoon. The Elections Department had received 42 complaints regarding election law violations with Anuradhapura recording the highest number.
The Network for Election Monitoring (NEM) carried out by the Intellectuals for Human Rights organization reported that in the Polonnaruwa District several Health Ministry vehicles bearing the number plates WP PE 2870, WP PE 5970, WP PE 8755, WP PE 5248 and WP HZ 5176 were being used for election purposes.
NEM also forwarded to the Elections Commissioner a complaint received from the SLMC that a Government Minister and a group of his supporters were attempting to intimidate voters in the Dehiattakandiya area.
The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said that due to the unrest and disturbances that took place on Friday evening in the Akkaraipattu, Ottamavadi and Valaichchenai areas, the Elections Commissioner had decided to call for the deployment of a contingent of the Special Task Force to maintain law and order.
In the Ampara district, a vehicle bearing number plate 251-9386 belonging to the Dehikanda Provincial Council???? has been used to transport select voters, CaFFE reported.
CaFFE Director Keerthi Tennakoon said that in the Trincomalee District SLMC supporters are accused of intimidating voters, while in the Batticaloa District TNA supporters were accused of intimidating voters as well.
“Except for these incidents the elections have been carried out in a peaceful manner,” Mr. Tennakoon added.
Police Media spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana claimed over 21,000 Police officers were on election duty.
Exercising his civic duty at 95
Story and picture by P.Gurunathan
Ninety five-year-old P.Kandiah, popularly known as Gandhi Master in the North, East and elsewhere in the country exercised his franchise at the EPC election on Saturday.
He is the sole living founder member of the All Ceylon Gandhi Seva Sankam. He is seen here alighting from a three-wheeler to cast his vote at the polling station at Sri Shanmuga Girls’ College, Trincomalee.
A booth made for two
A polling station was set up in the small island of Mantivu in the Batticaloa District, for just two voters.
The reason there are only two registered voters in the area is because a leprosy hospital is located nearby and hence many people have shunned living in the area. The two people who are themselves leprosy patients had cast their votes, the Sunday Times learns.
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