Voting has concluded in Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council election, where initial estimates say voter turnout in the historic election for the country’s Tamil population would be about 68 percent province wide.
Voting was slow in the Jaffna District in the early morning hours but picked up significantly by mid-morning and slowed again by afternoon.
The Mannar District in the Northern Province is expected to have the highest voter turnout province-wide.
In the Northern Capital of Jaffna, the elderly, the displaced, former combatants and young people arrived at polling stations to cast their votes creating long lines at selected polling stations.
Polling commenced at 7 a.m. with election monitors recording about 20 incidents of violence and intimidation while voting was underway.
PAFFREL, a local monitoring agency confirmed that 30 soldiers had visited the Mathagal village in Jaffna and told people to refrain from casting their ballots. The local monitors said the entire village had not voted in today’s election.
The Tamil National Alliance the main opposition party in this election that is widely expected to win the poll says voters have been prevented from reaching polling stations by soldiers in civilian clothing. Many of the soldiers were from nearby army camps, the TNA says, and voters were able to recognise them on sight.
In Pali Nagar in the Mullaitivu District, the home of a TNA polling agent was burned down, local election monitors said.
One TNA candidate was shot at outside a polling station that was next to a military camp, local monitors CaFFE confirmed. The incident took place at around 2 p.m.
The Northern Province is electing its provincial representatives for the first time in 25 years. The Provincial Council system set up under the terms of the Indo-Lanka Accord was the 1987 attempt to resolve Sri Lanka’s ethnic struggle that had erupted into an armed insurgency by the 80s. The last time Northern Tamils voted to elect a Provincial Council the provinces of the North and East were still one administrative unit. In 2006, by Supreme Court order, the East was officially demerged from the North, with its own Council.
Lankan / September 21, 2013
Lets wait for the results to comment.
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rohini / September 21, 2013
No there is one comment we can make right now.
The military must be STRICYLY confined to barracks.
This must be the first priority of the new CM and NPC Administration.
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rohini / September 21, 2013
No there is one comment we can make right now.
The military must be strictly confined to barracks hereafter.
This must be the first priority of the new CM and NPC Administration.
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dum / September 21, 2013
now we see the LTTE emigre propaganda and the TNA at work.. Suddenly every violation is blamed on the ARmy.. How very convenient.. Every violation is headlined with a Army uniform.. Thus creating the false narrative to get the Army totally out of the North.. Effective But pure propaganda.. Just like that lady who claimed her house was assaulted by the Army, EPDP and UPFa all together at 12:50 AM in Jaffna.. what they all line up and introduce themselves before assaulting her in the Pitch Dark of the Jaffna Night????? And What were her supporters doing at her Place at that time???? So who benefited from this action.. Surely sympathy would take away votes form the EPDP and the UPFA.. so are we to say these two parties are Fools when it comes to politics??? And the army was thrown in as good measure to the INT LTTE emigres can do their propaganda work.. Now we all know there are many mnay election violation in every part of this nation and Jaffna is not the sole place where the Army is present as well.. But Today surely but slowly we get to see the methods of the So called Peace loving TNA and LTTE emigre Tamil and their propaganda methods..
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Moda Singalis / September 21, 2013
Ado modaya, who else is going to intimidate people in an Army controled zone? Have you lost your mind? Why wld the LTTE intimidat there own people to vite against the only tamil people’s alliance in the Nothern province? It must be the work of the Sinhala government backed by the Douglas Devananda goons. If i catch you I’l eat u alive you dirty a– licker.
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Dum / September 21, 2013
why wld the LTTE intimidate there own people??? yes why would the LTTE do that??? Given their wonderful history.. I Thought the Vote here is for the TNA and Not the LTTE which the INT LTTE emigres support??? why would the Army intimidate?? Well they haven’t.. Like i said every violation is taged with the army so the INt LTTE Emigres use this as a propaganda tool.. I mean these are the same LTTE int Emigres who once said Elections will never happen, Then when announced they said the 13th A is useless and must be ignored, Now there is actual Voting and the TNA winning.. well the army have stopped people coming out we want them out. Soon they will say the TNA council has failed.. This is because of the Army and the Government… Normal Propaganda rubbish.. Still I Remember when the LTTE was in control there was elections every day.. The great champions of democracy.
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Moda Singalis / September 21, 2013
Ado Moda lankan, who else is going to intimidate people in an Army controled zone? Have you lost your mind? Why wld the LTTE intimidate there own people to vote against the only tamil people’s party in the Nothern province? It must be the work of the Sinhala government backed by the Douglas Devananda goons. If i catch you I’l eat u alive for sucking on Rajapaka’s big batty u dirty a– licker.
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Dum / September 22, 2013
Yes is suppose that’s why Dirty Rajapaka’s the President (Maveeran) went to the North to campaign for his party Mainly Tamils in the North.. Tell me which Sinhala Leader has done that since Sir John???? Not even JR bothered during the DDC.. And loosing support form His Nationalist elements in the coalition for even letting the elections go-ahead. Hey LTTE Int Emigres Reality with facts are different form properganda
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Burt / September 21, 2013
“Every violation is headlined with a Army uniform.. “
Is.nt this normal when you give power and a weapon to people with little or no education. These thugs in uniform will not get a job as a waiter or peon if not for the military and they are abusing the powers given to satisfy the master who himself was just another 7 Eleven clerk when had to secure employment on merits.
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dum / September 21, 2013
people must read the Truth not form the filtered CMB telegraph the Tamilnet minus the venom.and other LTTE int emigre Propaganda sites. Visit newsfirst.lk for Unbiased, Unfiltered News.. From the Maharaja Group..
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Lapatiya / September 21, 2013
I don’t know why these Tamil people reluctant to cast their votes as Govt. did everything possible to have a free and fair election with the help from EPDP and MACO.
Before TNA started selecting it’s candidates our Saddarmadveepa Chakrawarthi publicly advised TNA how to select a Suitable Candidate foe CM post, but Sambandan never listen to his advise.
Armed forces along with EPDP gave full protection for TNA candidates and even visited Aanadi Sasidaran’s house to check her security.
Govt. used armed forces for their poster campaign to minimize the cost of election as there is no war.
Govt. did the campaign for TNA and even printed Posters, News papers at Govt. cost with small, minor , negligible printing mistake.
North-East people became very rich because Kurunagala Jhonny gave free food, mobile phones for youths, Saaries for Ladies, Mathata Thitha for everybody and pocket money. People saved what they earned for 2 months as they got every thing free.
North-east people were very happy because Dayasiri entertained general public with his singing skills.
That is our Rajapaksha kind of free and fair election.
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Moda Singalis / September 21, 2013
If the war starts again Srilankan government is not getting any back up from the international Countries but who ever rebels against your corrupted government will be back up by the United Nations for sure. :)
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Moda Singalis / September 21, 2013
Backed up^*
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justice / September 21, 2013
The army will be in control even after the election.The president dares not remove the army – at least a significant part of it – from the north,as it would displease the army.
The military rule will continue.
The military governor will be firmly in control.
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Moda Singalis / September 21, 2013
Ye we’l see about that. Srilankan government can give permanent residence to the EPDP back in South of Srilanka. After the election the Army and the EPDP mafckaz packin your bags n luggage back to the South and let the Tamils live peacefully in the north.
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Ranjan / September 22, 2013
Do not worry Army will leave. No country in the world could keep that amount of soldiers and try to control capable people. It is a matter of time that the leaders in the south get the wisdom that is best for the country.
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Ranjan / September 22, 2013
Any one can see give weapons and training to a large number of people and having no productivity out of them will eventually collapse the economy.
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Davidson Panabokke / October 22, 2013
CT
I can’t find this news in PAFFREL’s website:
”PAFFREL, a local monitoring agency confirmed that 30 soldiers had visited the Mathagal village in Jaffna and told people to refrain from casting their ballots. The local monitors said the entire village had not voted in today’s election.”
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