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Voting amid wasp attacks and priestly canvassing
WANNI: Voting started off slowly in the Wanni which encompasses the Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Mannar districts, but picked up later in the day, election monitors said. Rumours that voter identity could be traced, issues over temporary ID cards and fear of wasp attacks had added to the initial slow turnout, they said.
But later in the day voting steadily increased, with Mullaitivu recording a turnout of 71 per cent, Mannar 70 and Vavuniya 65. The majority of the election law violations in the run-up to polls day included illegal propaganda, threatening voters and influencing voters through various means.
The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said it received complaints of state officials such as Samurdhi Officers being engaged in campaigning activities in both Vavuniya and Mannar.
On Friday evening an election officer was killed and two people injured in a wasp attack while they were engaged in preparation work at a polling station at Pudukkulam in Vavuniya while at Kanakarayankulam Bharathi Vidyalaya, another centre, a civilian was injured when a police officer’s weapon misfired.
Meanwhile in Mannar, a priest, and a candidate’s brother and sister were arrested and later released on charges of illegal campaigning. In the early hours of voting there were reports of voters being threatened in Erukkulam Iddi-East area, PAFFREL said.
The Network for Election Monitoring of the Intellectuals for Human Rights-Sri Lanka (NEM IHR) said it had received reports that Hindu and Christian priests were influencing voters to vote for the TNA in the Pesalai area in Mannar.
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