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Overall 55%-60% voter turnout in violence-free Eastern PC poll
Sunday, 11 May 2008 - 1:58 PM SL Time
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With an overall 55% to 60% voter turnout, the curtain came down on the Eastern Provincial Council election yesterday sans any major poll-related acts of violence.
The turnout for the poll in the three districts of the Province, Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa -- held after a lapse of 20 years, was satisfactory, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said
Though there was a lull as polling opened at 7 am, it gathered momentum as the day progressed, election officials said.
`There were no major election-related incidents of violence`, senior police and security officials said.
Ampara`s Chief Returning Officer, Sunil Kannangara said polling was in the range of 60% to 65% in the Digamadulla district.
Trincomalee`s Chief Returning Officer, Major General (Retd) Ranjith de Silva placed the voter turnover 55% to 60% in the district under his purview.
Chief Returning Officer of Batticaloa, Government Agent Sundaram Arumainayagam reported 55% polling in his district.
There were no major incidents during polling and voters were observed casting their votes in a relatively peaceful atmosphere, said W. P. Sumanasiri, the Additional Commissioner of Elections (Provincial and Local).
However, the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) and People`s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) reported certain poll-related incidents in the three districts.
CMEV said in a statement that 25 complaints of incidents of election related violence were received and of them 18 fell into the `major offences` category.
PAFFREL`s Executive director Kingsley Rodrigo said 56 incidents were reported and of them 28 were made by the UNP. Most of them related to chasing away voters, impersonation and clashes between political party supporters.
He said that overall 80% had gone off smoothly but 20% had been marred by untoward incidents.
The leader of the TMVP, who is also the Chief Ministerial candidate of the UPFA Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan better known as Pillaiyan cast his vote at the polling station at Vipulananda Maha Vidyalaya in Valachchenai. Similarly, the other UPFA hopeful M. L .A. M. Hisbullah voted in his hometown of Kattankudy under heavy military cover.
The Chairman of the SLMC and chief candidate of the UNP from the Batticaloa district Basheer Cegudawood cast his vote at the Arafat Vidayalaya booth, adjoining his residence at Eravur.
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, coordinating his party`s campaign yesterday charged that the polls were not free and fair and cited certain incidents at Tirukkovil in Ampara, Verugal in Trincomalee. He accused the TMVP leader of rigging votes in Batticaloa but said he is hopeful of victory for the UNP.
Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa who was associated with Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva in leading the UPFA`s campaign in the Digamadulla District also expressed confidence of victory for his party.
UPFA General Secretary and Minister Susil Premajayantha leading the campaign from the Batticaloa district said that the situation was quite calm without any major incidents and the voter turnout was improving by noon, `The UPFA is assured of an overwhelming victory `
Senior Advisor to the President (MP) Basil Rajapaksa leading the UPFA`s campaign in the Eastern Province expressed confidence that the Government would get a resounding victory to move forward with developing the province.
DIG (Digamadulla) Shantha Rajapaksa said no violent poll-related incidents were reported.
DIG (Batticaloa) H. M. D Herath said that the situation was under control without any incidents worth mentioning.
DIG (Trincomalee) Upali Gunasekera said that expect for a few isolated incidents, voting took place in a peaceful atmosphere.
The last elections to the formerly merged North-East Province was held on November 19, 1988
This poll was held according to the Electoral Register for 2006 under which there are 982,721 registered voters who were eligible to cast their vote for 1,342 candidates belonging to 18 political parties and 56 independent groups to elect 35 members. Two bonus seats will go to the party or group that receives the highest number of preference votes.
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wick
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 11 May 2008 08:42:42 GMT Report for Abuse
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Overall 55% to 60% voter turnout in violence- free Eastern PC poll
This is for eastern Tamils. If you are happy we are happy too.
Help us to send VP and his family to their grave.
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Magnum357
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11 May 2008 11:54:33 GMT Report for Abuse
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sans any major poll-related acts of violence
So bomb explosions, murder, kidnap, arson, threats and intimidation etc etc are no longer considered major poll related acts of violence in Sri Lanka!
Wonder what would be considered acts of violence?!
Edited By - Magnum357 - 11 May 2008 11:55:39 GMT |
MahaDev
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11 May 2008 13:12:59 GMT Report for Abuse
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So bomb explosions, murder, kidnap, arson, threats and intimidation etc etc are no longer considered major poll related acts of violence in Sri Lanka!
Wonder what would be considered acts of violence?!
It is good one!! |
Magnum357
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11 May 2008 13:54:36 GMT Report for Abuse
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Violence-free
Yes that's right, absolutely FREE- no charge- courtesy TMVP and Pillayan with the sponsorship of MR and and the UPFA! |
Thambi
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 11 May 2008 14:01:27 GMT Report for Abuse
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| The similar event occurred in North when EPDP elected in majority like 60 or 70 % , now that is an old story , now days EPDP having hard time securing the deposit , but tamils do not care the sinhala election in their so called demo-crazy system , we will have our own election where SRILANKA WILL BE an out sider for TAMILS , the time is nearing . |
magha
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11 May 2008 21:31:32 GMT Report for Abuse
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What ever said and done this election is a step forward and not back wards to LTTE terrorism. That is the positive side, one need to appreciate. The UPFA as a huge task and a challenge to rebuild lives of the Eastern people and if they fail, next time UNP will win and it does not matter as long as a path for a democratic political process is given to the eastern people of our country. After 25 years of unrest and terrorism brought to those people by LTTE they will now start enjoying freedom which the South enjoys.
Freedom of speech and democracy does not always mean prosperity and it depends on good governance and correct policies implemented by ruling parties.
Tamils had been discriminated in the past but not any more. If Tamil racism which came before any discrimination still exists then they will continue to suffer as a community due to poverty of philosophy in the 21st century.
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Gaja
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 11 May 2008 21:58:04 GMT Report for Abuse
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Overall 55%-60% voter turnout
Right. Let's work on the 40% for economic progress.
Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam - Australian Tamil |
Magnum357
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12 May 2008 04:53:22 GMT Report for Abuse
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Magha
The UPFA as a huge task and a challenge to rebuild lives of the Eastern people and if they fail, next time UNP will win
What nonsence UNP will never win, at least, so long as Ranil is there! The UPFA and the TMVP do not have to do anything much. It's enough if they can illusionise what has to be done and show the people the illusions. MR and the UPFA will do a tremendous job with that. Quite a lot of people in the South are very content with the 'illusions'. Wouldn't be much of a difference in the East!
When election time comes MR and the UPFA will use all the tricks in the book together with the hooks, crooks and thugs and WIN 'hook or by crook' while the UNP will be by the wayside complaining!
Edited By - Magnum357 - 12 May 2008 04:58:25 GMT |
gamiya
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12 May 2008 07:22:45 GMT Report for Abuse
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What nonsence UNP will never win, at least, so long as Ranil is there!
It is not Mahinda's or UPFA's fault that Traitor Ranil is the leader of the UNP(Traitor Ranil Faction).
We too, would very much prefer a new UNP leader who can identify with the Sri Lankan people and compete with us politically. We agree that Traitor Ranil is no competion for us. We only need 'two weeks' before the elections to defeat Traitor Ranil. And all we have to do is to send the ITN/Rupavihini camera crues behind Traitor Ranil, telivise Traitor Ranil's stupid activities and give Traitor Ranil some national publicity. If we start this process two weeks before the election, on election day we win. How much simpler can it get???
We have enough video's of Traitor Ranil's Trechery and stupidity to Win Elections against Traitor Ranil for the rest of the Traitor's life....Lot's of them are on youtube.
Here's one as an example. Please watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLDq8kzWFYs
All we have to do is broadcast these on National TV two weeks before elections and we will win any Election against Traitor Ranil. Prabhakaran has been assasinating all Political Leaders of all Parties to ensure that Traitor Ranil would become President. But this will never happen. Prabhakaran murdered all UNP leader's and saved Traitor Ranil so he can become UNP leader. But Prabhakaran can never get Traitor Ranil elected as President as long as Gamiya's like us are around. Believe me, I'm nothing special.
There are Millions and Millions and Millions of Gamiya's like me.
Edited By - gamiya - 12 May 2008 07:34:02 GMT |
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