60% - 63% voter turnout at Western and Southern PC poll below expectations

By Franklin R. Satyapalan

With polling closing at 4 pm yesterday, the average turnout of voters to elect representatives to the Western and Southern Provincial Councils was in the range of 60% to 63%, elections secretariat sources said.

"There is no precise percentage that can be arrived at soon after voting closes, but this figure is the closest we can come to on a general assessment of the voting pattern", a senior officials said.

The election was largely peaceful with no major incidents reported from the two provinces, police and election officials said.

Voting was relatively less enthusiastic and below expectations, the election sources said.

Elections Commissioner, Mahinda Deshapriya said that except for a few minor sporadic incidents, the PC elections were concluded on a peaceful note in the six districts of the Southern and Western provinces.

Additional Commissioner Elections (Provincial and Local ) R. N. A. L. Ratnayake said the official announcement on the results of the Preferential (PR) votes of individual candidates would be announced by Monday morning.Ballot boxes, sealed in the presence if Chief Presiding Officers (CPO’s) and agents of political parties and independent groups, were transported under armed police security to the 549 counting and 59 postal counting centers.

Deputy Elections Commissioner (Administration) M. M. Mohammed said that the main counting centers in the Colombo district were Royal College, D. S. Senanayake and Isipathana Vidyalaya. The counting of postal votes started at 5.30 pm yesterday.

A total 102 members will be elected from the three districts of the Western Province — 40 each from the Colombo and the Gampaha districts and 22 from the Kalutara district.

The party which receives the highest number of votes in the two provinces would receive two bonus seats. This means the Western Provincial Council would comprise 104 members and the Southern Provincial Council 55 members.

Altogether, 53 members will be elected from the Southern Province — 22 from Galle, 17 from Matara and 14 from the Hambantota district.