Colombo: Polling has concluded in Sri Lankas presidential elections with millions turning out to vote in an unexpectedly close contest that pits President Mahinda Rajapaksa against one of his former allies- Maithripala Sirisena. Monitors and officials have reported a high turnout, despite some reports of intimidation.
Mr Rajapaksa, in office for two terms since 2005, called the election two years early with analysts predicting an easy win. But reports suggest many voters have since rallied behind the challenger, former health minister Maithripala Sirisena, who defected from the ruling party to run against him. He quit as one of Rajapaksa’s ministers in November, triggering a flood of defections from the government. The defection turned Rajapaksa’s bid for a third term into a referendum on the president, and the enormous power he wields over the island nation.
Around 15 million people were eligible to vote in Thursday’s election reports Al Jazeera. Early indications suggested national turnout could be as high as the near 75 percent reported in 2010. There were no major reports of violence, although the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), a private monitoring group, said a small number of voters had been prevented from casting their ballots.
Election monitors also reported two large explosions in the south and east that initially caused panic, but there were no casualties and voting was unaffected. “A high turnout usually favours the opposition,” Keerthi Thennakoon, CaFFE’s head said.
In Colombo the chief election commissioner reportedly visited a state-run television station to demand it correct a report that a prominent opposition leader had defected to Rajapaksa’s camp.
The election observer group have said that there had been “unparalleled misuse of state resources and media” by Rajapaksa’s party and that police inaction had given free rein to election-related violence.
The Sri Lankan president said he was confident of a “resounding victory” and promised a peaceful post-election period as he cast his ballot. Opposition candidate Sirisena also claimed victory was in sight. There is support for us everywhere. From tomorrow, we will usher in a new political culture, Sirisena said after casting his vote in the eastern town of Polonnaruwa.
BBC reports that Mr Rajapaksa rode a wave of popularity after the civil war ended in 2009 but he now faces charges of cronyism. His relatives fill many of the most powerful and influential positions in the country, and critics accuse him of running the state like a family business.
Analysts say Mr Sirisena appears to have capitalised on this perception, making gains among Sinhalese who usually vote for Mr Rajapaksa. Mr Sirisena is also expected to win most of the vote from the ethnic minorities that make up about 30% of Sri Lanka’s population.
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