By P.Vijian

COLOMBO, Jan 26 (NNN-Bernama) — Sri Lankans Tuesday began polling in the first post-war presidential election, held under a unified country since the civil conflict ended last May.

An estimated 14 million Sri Lankans will cast their ballots to elect the new president in today’s (Tuesday) election, where 22 candidates are contesting, including incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakasa and former Army chief (retired) Sarath Fonseka.

Barely eights months after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was defeated, Sri Lankans were pushed to another political crossroad — to decide the future of the island future, which had been ravaged by war for the past three decades, with over 80,000 people killed.

The war victory euphoria had disappeared quickly and anxiety gripped much of the country as election fever hit a high pitch, with the two main candidates, Rajapaksa and his former general, entangled in a bitter contest.

Violence had not vanished from this island state, even after the demise of the LTTE, as four people had been reported killed during the election campaigns and over 800 poll-related incidents were reported.

Yesterday, a journalist with an Internet-based newspaper — often critical of the government — went missing in Colombo — stoking more fear of rising political tension in the country of about 20 million people.

The government had announced Wednesday as a national holiday as counting would begin, but election observers said the government could impose a curfew to prevent any untoward incidents after the results are announced.

“Sri Lanka will do everything needed to conduct a free and fair poll. About 68,000 police and 25 army battalions will be deployed for this election,” Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Rohita Bogollagama told the media earlier.

– NNN-BERNAMA

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