Its all systems go for today’s first ever Provincial Council Elections in the East. A total of 1,342 candidates from 18 registered Parties and 56 independent groups are in the fray to elect 35 members to the Council.

Additional Commissioner of Elections (Provincial and local) W. P Sumanasiri said 982,721 were eligible to cast their vote.

Senior advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa MP, who led the UPFA campaign, likened today’s polls to a referendum which gives the people an opportunity to say Yes or No to peaceful coexistence among the three communities and to successfully take forward many large development projects.

SLMC General Secretary and a candidate of the UNP in the Digamadulla district M. T. Hassen Ali requested the voters to consider the polls as a referendum on the merger of the North and East.

Security was at peak level in all three districts. The Navy and Police have been deployed in Trincomalee, Army and Police in Batticaloa and the STF and the Army at Digamadulla. Reports from these districts said mobile armed patrols were constantly seen moving about in every nook and corner of the three districts from midnight Thursday. No major incidents were reported as this edition went to press.

Deputy Commissioner of Elections for Colombo City Mahinda Deshapriya, who is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Polls, said a 16,000 strong elections staff had taken up posts at their respective polling stations by last Friday night.