Sri Lanka announced an overnight curfew across the island as counting began in Wednesday’s parliamentary election which was marred by at least three deaths and several violent clashes. The macabre killing by a slew of bullets pumped into a car carrying supporters of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauf Hakeem came while ballot boxes were being transported to counting stations after voting at Katugasgota near the central hill town of Kandy, police said.
The killings took the total death toll for the day to 12, as there were two other deaths in Kandy and three elsewhere in the island, including that of a seven-year-old boy.
Counting began hours after polling, in which nearly 75 per cent of electors cast their votes, and the government clamped an island-wide curfew till dawn to prevent violence overtaking counting process that will take place at 810 centres.
After a violent campaign that left 47 people dead, there were far fewer incidents during the nine-hour polling than in the past. There were sporadic incidents of firing, lobbing of hand grenades and storming of polling booths, but the Kandy carnage fulfilled the dire predictions of a bloodbath.
Bureau Report