{"id":42714,"date":"2015-08-17T17:48:11","date_gmt":"2015-08-17T21:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=42714"},"modified":"2015-08-17T17:49:18","modified_gmt":"2015-08-17T21:49:18","slug":"only-226-violations-recorded-by-elections-dept-as-polls-conclude-peacefully-with-high-voter-turn-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=42714","title":{"rendered":"Only 226 Violations Recorded by Elections Dept as Polls Conclude Peacefully with High Voter Turn out"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nBy<\/p>\n

Dharisha Bastians<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sri Lankans voted in yesterday\u2019s parliamentary election in relatively high numbers with several districts recording nearly a 70% turnout and the country anxiously awaits final results later today.<\/p>\n

The Elections Department said the counting of postal votes had begun at 5:00 p.m. yesterday. The first postal voting results were to be released by 10.00 p.m. and the first results from yesterday\u2019s vote were expected by 2.00 a.m. Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said that since the ballot papers were long, counting could take extra time. <\/p>\n

Heavy rains in several parts of the island disrupted election activities in some areas, officials said.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is contesting as his de facto prime ministerial challenger, were the main protagonists of yesterday\u2019s contest to win seats in the new Parliament and form a majority Government.<\/p>\n

Both leaders cast their votes in their respective home districts.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who voted at College House in Colombo, said yesterday\u2019s election had been free and fair and had met the democratic standard. <\/p>\n

“This was made possible because of the 8 January revolution and we are confident of victory,” he said.<\/p>\n

Wickremesinghe urged people to accept the result of the election and conduct themselves peacefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have spoken with the IGP and the Elections Commissioner and I have told them to take action against any persons breaking the law, whatever party they are from,\u201d the Prime Minister said.<\/p>\n

The former President who cast his vote Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa requested the people to act peacefully and called on the police and armed forces to refrain from engaging in politics. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey must uphold the law, we expect a fair election,\u201d Rajapaksa told reporters in Medamulana.
\n“We are going to win, that is clears,” he said.According to district Returning Officers, 70% cast their votes in the Gampaha and Kandy Districts, 65% in Rathnapura, 68% in Hambantota, 62% in Colombo, Matara, and Matale districts 30 minutes before polls closed at 4.00 p.m. Voter turnout in the Badulla and Galle districts was recorded at approximately 63% and 61% respectively. <\/p>\n

Polls observers said the turnout was relatively high, even though it was not expected to exceed the turnout at the presidential election in January.<\/p>\n

“It is a good sign to see the people enthusiastically casting their votes to elect the members of the new Parliament. The situation at election centres has so far been trouble free,” Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Executive Director Ranjith Keerthi Tennakoon said.<\/p>\n

The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said yesterday\u2019s Parliamentary election had been the most peaceful election in 15 years.<\/p>\n

CMEV Co-Convenor Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu said the poll had been \u201crelatively free and fair, and without hindrance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Saravanamuttu said CMEV had recorded 294 incidents of violence, with 97 of these classified as major incidents.<\/p>\n

Elections Commissioner Deshapriya hailed the election as peaceful, saying his department had recorded only 226 violations One such report was of UNP supporters at Thambuttegama Thammenagama Community Centre polling station 62 at around 8.00 a.m. at Rajina Junction, Thambuthegama, Anuradhapura District influencing voters in favor of UNP candidates P. Harison and Chadrani Bandara. <\/p>\n

The CMEV also said it had received a number of reports related to the ink used to mark fingers of voters. \u201cThere were complaints of the ink fading even before voters could cast their votes. A total seven such incidents have been recorded by CMEV from Kurunegala, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Wanni. CMEV has informed the Election Commissioner about these complaints,\u201d the polls monitor said.<\/p>\n

Polls Monitor People\u2019s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said the yesterday\u2019s poll had been one of the most peaceful in recent history.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis election clearly showed that there has been a change in Sri Lanka\u2019s political culture,\u201d PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said.<\/p>\n

Over 6,100 candidates from a record 35 political parties and 200 independent groups were vying for 196 parliamentary seats at today\u2019s General Elections. Polling was conducted in 12,314 polling centres island-wide, including in the seven islands off Jaffna in the Northern Province. <\/p>\n

Most peaceful election in Lanka\u2019s history says President Sirisena<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Maithripala Sirisena hailed yesterday\u2019s parliamentary election as the most peaceful in the country\u2019s history and urged citizens to keep the positive trend going post-poll.<\/p>\n

President Sirisena attributed the peaceful election to the transformation in the country as a result of the past six months of his yahapalanaya rule.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people remember how the former Government behaved during the 8 January election, the way it abused state property, state power and the state media during that campaign,\u201d President Sirisena recalled.<\/p>\n

He said the main lesson to learn from the peacefulness of this election was that it was possible only when the Head of State remains acts neutrally during an election campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am extremely pleased to have been President at a time when Sri Lanka has been able to hold such a poll for the first time in its history,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

He urged calm in the post-election period.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s keep this trend going. Enjoy the results equally peacefully and without engaging in post-election violence. Do not persecute the defeated, either mentally or physically,\u201d President Sirisena appealed.<\/p>\n

Addressing the nation at 9 PM, five hours after polls closed on a remarkably quiet election day, President Sirisena said that it had been impossible to hold free, fair and just elections as long as the police and bureaucracy remained in the grasp of political forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis historic election has been made possible because of Good Governance policies, and the decision to stay neutral and allow the police and the public service and the Elections Commissioner to exercise their full powers under the law,\u201d the President said during his address.<\/p>\n

Thanking the Elections Department and all officials cooperating in election work, President Sirisena said they had his \u2018full gratitude and respect\u2019 for their dedication towards holding a free and fair poll.<\/p>\n

\u201cInternational observers could not believe how peaceful this election was,\u201d the President said. <\/p>\n

Courtesy:Daily FT<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dharisha Bastians Sri Lankans voted in yesterday\u2019s parliamentary election in relatively high numbers with several districts recording nearly a 70% turnout and the country anxiously awaits final results later today. The Elections Department said the counting of postal votes had begun at 5:00 p.m. yesterday. The first postal voting results were to be released …<\/p>\n

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