40 percent turnout so far admist minor incidents

(August 23, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Over 40 percent of voters in the North Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces voted in the first four and a half hours as several minor elections related incidents were reported according to elections monitors and officials.

Armed TMVP cadres have allegedly chased off Muslims who had come in to cast their votes at the Palliyagodella Muslim Junior College polling booth according to the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV).

Last evening, UNP candidate M. Dasakaran was shot in Yatiyantota and this has resulted in unrest in the area this morning, spokesman for CMEV D. M. Dissanayake told TimesOnline.

In Balangoda unidentified groups have allegedly been stealing polling cards of JVP supporters coming into cast their votes.

According to the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), polling cards of several UNP supporters have been taken away in Kalawana yesterday by unknown persons. This has been reported to the police, CAFFE Ratnapura Elections Monitor Sugath Chandrasekara said.

Meanwhile a spokesman for the All Party Monitoring Centre set up by PAFFREL said a UNP polling agent in Mawanella was chased off this morning. In Welikanda, TMVP cadres have allegedly chased off UNP supporters who had come to cast their vote.

Several cases of polling cards being snatched have also been reported in Balangoda, he added.

A campaign propaganda parade for a UPFA candidate had taken place in Kitulgala Road, Yatiyantota this morning, he said.

The Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) had complained to PAFFREL that NICs of their supporters have been stolen in Kahawatta last night.
- Sri Lanka Guardian