News
Uva polls: Modest voter turnout, no major incidents
View(s):
Bandarawela Mayor Daminda Wijesiri alleges he was attacked inside a police station. Pic by P. Dilrukshana
Around 65 per cent of the nearly one million registered voters in the Uva Province cast their votes yesterday amidst sporadic incidents.
As polling closed Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said there were some incidents of violence reported to the commission and he would examine if they had an impact on the outcome of the poll.
“As the incidents had taken place outside the polling stations, we believe they had no impact on the count. But still the incidents will be examined thoroughly,” he said. The turnout in both the Moneragala and Badulla districts were around 65 per cent, but was lower than in the 2009 Provincial Council election where there was a turnout of 70.73 per cent in the Badulla district and 68.69 in the Moneragala district. After the polls closed at 4 p.m. counting began around 6 p.m. in 111 counting centers of the two districts.
Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said there were several incidents of violence including the assault on Bandarawela’s UNP Mayor Daminda Wijesiri allegedly by Deputy Minister Hemal Gunasekara and parliamentarian Arundika Fernando at the Bandarawela police station.The mayor had gone to the police station to lodge a complaint against the two UPFA members over an assault on him inside a polling booth. He was assaulted for the second time inside the police station.
SSP Rohana said they would study the video footage available on the incident and take action accordingly.
Earlier in the day, members of the ruling alliance and opposition parties said they were confident of victory in the poll which is seen as an important test of the Government’s popularity prior to a possible presidential election early next year.
Former Chief Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa, who is seeking re-election, cast his vote at Sella-Kataragama while several government ministers including Nimal Siripala de Silva, Dilan Perera and Sumedha Jayasena were seen voting in different centers. Mr. Rajapaksa said he was confident of a convincing victory.
The UNP’s main candidate Harin Fernando told reporters after casting his vote at the Visakha Girls High School in Badulla that he was encouraged by the large numbers who had flocked to support the UNP. “There seems to be a clamour for change among the people. The UNP will work with others in the opposition to take control of the Uva PC,” he said.
The JVP’s chief candidate Samantha Vidyaratna said his party was confident of victory. “People are fed up of all the corruption and nepotism in the Government. They want to change this system which has not benefited them,” he told reporters. Election monitoring groups said they received around 100 complaints of election law violations yesterday. The majority were cases of threats and intimidation, soliciting of votes and clashes between supporters of different political parties.
After polling closed, there were no major incidents reported.