SRI LANKANS CAST VOTES IN THE FIRST POST-WAR POLLS

By P.Vijian

COLOMBO, Jan 26 (Bernama) --- Sri Lankans Tuesday began polling in the first
post-war presidential election, held under a unified country since the civil
conflict ended last May.

An estimated 14 million Sri Lankans will cast their ballots to elect the new
president in Tuesday's election, where 22 candidates are contesting, including
incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakasa and former Army chief (retired) Sarath
Fonseka.

Barely eights months after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was
defeated, Sri Lankans were pushed to another political crossroad -- to decide
the future of the island future, which had been ravaged by war for the past
three decades, with over 80,000 people killed.

The war victory euphoria had disappeared quickly and anxiety gripped much of
the country as election fever hit a high pitch, with the two main candidates,
Rajapaksa and his former general, entangled in a bitter contest.

Violence had not vanished from this island state, even after the demise of
the LTTE, as four people had been reported killed during the election campaigns
and over 800 poll-related incidents were reported.

Yesterday, a journalist with an Internet-based newspaper -- often critical
of the government -- went missing in Colombo -- stoking more fear of rising
political tension in the country of about 20 million people.

The government had announced Wednesday as a national holiday as counting
would begin, but election observers said the government could impose a curfew to
prevent any untoward incidents after the results are announced.

"Sri Lanka will do everything needed to conduct a free and fair poll. About
68,000 police and 25 army battalions will be deployed for this election," Sri
Lanka's Foreign Affairs Minister Rohita Bogollagama told the media earlier.
-- BERNAMA


Attachments: