Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe said Tuesday that the overall election was peaceful.
"This was possible because Sri Lankans were against elections malpractice and corruption," Wickremasinghe said, appreciating the armed forces and the police for maintaining a peaceful election.
The United National Party (UNP) led by Wickremasinghe was behind former Army Commander Sarath Fosneka, who is challenging incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Though pre-polls period was marred by killing, attacking, destroying properties, mud slinging and intimidation, but the island's presidential election ended in the afternoon peacefully, despite polls monitors' prediction of a violence-high election.
The two main candidates, local and foreign polls monitors, Buddhist prelates, religious leaders and community leaders requested the party supporters and public to be non-violent and share the last outcome with dignity.
Posters requesting a peaceful election came up in most cities.
According to Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), the Northern Province recorded a turnout of nearly 20 percent. It was eight percent in Kilinochchi, the administration center for the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The turnout in Mullattivu, the military stronghold of the LTTE, was about 10 percent.
On the other hand, the turnout in the Eastern Province was over 60 percent. The province was recaptured from the hands of LTTE in 2007.
Another local polls monitoring agency People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said overall polls were peaceful but incidence of threatening polling station officials were reported from the south and a incident of shooting was reported in the southern town of Galle.
Some incidents of bomb blasts and burning of tyres were reported from Jaffna early Tuesday but the armed forces controlled situation later.
The Police Department taking the responsibility of having a peaceful election has deployed heavy contingent of over 85,000 police men to maintain law and order.
Out of the total over 70,000 police corps had been deployed for election duty. Police was assisted by the armed forces in the North and East.
Rajapaksa called the election two years ahead of schedule to capitalize on his popularity among the majority Sinhalese after ending the island's bloody ethnic conflict.
Fonseka, who commanded the Army to defeat the rebels from 2006 to 2009, is equally credited for the victory. |
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