COLOMBO: Against the backdrop of heavy voter turnout in Sri Lanka, especially in areas such as Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura, there was unusually high polling in the Tamil-dominated Northern Province in the presidential election on Thursday.

According to reliable estimates, 68 per cent of the voters cast their ballots in the northern districts of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. In the last presidential election in 2010, the turnout was only 25 per cent in Jaffna district and 40 per cent in rest of the four northern districts put together.

This time, however, Jaffna appears to have polled 66 per cent of the votes, Vavuniya 70 per cent, Mannar 66 per cent, Kilinochchi 67 per cent, and Mullaitivu 75 per cent.

Political observers say the high turnout will help the joint opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena because a majority of the Tamils oppose President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Before the polling some analysts had predicted low turnout in the north because the TNA had announced its decision to support Mr Sirisena very late in the day and had not campaigned for him at all.

Voter turnout in the southern districts was well over 70 per cent, said Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya.

He added that polling was peaceful.

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said that only 405 violent incidents had occurred while in 2010 the number of such incidents was 1,050. National and international monitors also said that polling was largely peaceful.

The counting of votes began at 6pm and the final results would be released on Friday, Mr Deshapriya said.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2015

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