Colombo: A series of explosions in northern Sri Lanka ahead of voting in the Presidential Election lowered turnout in the region, but the rest of the country reported brisk voting, election officials said on Tuesday.
Voting in the first national election since the defeat in May of Tamil separatist rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) culminated with no serious incidents in the first five hours of polling.
According to election observers, the election was held in a free and fair manner with a voter turnout of over 70 percent.
Before the polls opened, five explosions were reported from the Jaffna Peninsula, which was a major battleground in the government`s 26-year war with the LTTE, but there were no immediate details on casualties, said residents in Jaffna, 396 km north of the capital, Colombo.
Police confirmed they heard the blasts but said they did not have reports of any incidents.
Election officials said voter turnout in the first few hours in the region was 19 percent, compared with an average of 35 percent in the rest of the country.
Voting began at 7 am at about 11,000 polling stations with 14 million people registered to vote. Polling ended at 4 pm.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, 64, representing the ruling United People`s Freedom Alliance, is facing former Army commander General Sarath Fonseka, 59, who is backed by four leading opposition parties.
Twenty other candidates were also running but were unlikely to make an impact with the race narrowing down to a close contest between Rajapaksa and Fonseka.
Both the main candidates claim credit for winning the war against the LTTE. The opposition has also vowed to end corruption and what they call a family dictatorship after Rajapaksa appointed relatives to government posts.
Allegations of misuse of state power, including the use of government vehicles, the state media and officials for his re-election campaign have been levelled against Rajapaksa.
There are no reliable opinion polls in the country and political observers say the election is too close to call between the men, who are the only contenders in a field of 22 with any realistic chance of winning.
"We will have a great victory," Rajapaksa told reporters after voting in his southern home constituency of Mulkirigala at a school named after his late politician father.
"We must be ready to face the challenges of reaching new heights after this vote," he added.
The six-week run-up to the elections has been marred by violence, including four deaths.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Gamini Nawaratne, who is head of the police election secretariat, said more than 900 election complaints were received during the campaign.
Local and foreign election observers had warned of the possibility of violence interrupting the election and have called for a violence-free election. About 70,000 police backed by the armed forces were deployed to provide election security.
Rajapaksa called for presidential polls two years before his six-year term ends in what was widely believed to be a move to capitalise on the government`s military victory over the rebels.
The counting of ballots is due to commence Tuesday night. Results are to be released after midnight, and final results were expected by Wednesday morning.
IANS
