Northerners queue up to elect their local representatives

L. S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Minister of Engineering Services and Common Amenities Wimal Weerawansa is seen at a polling station after casting his vote.

Voters going to cast theirt vote in Karaithivu in Jaffna

people outside the Madampe polling station

The most significant feature of yesterday's local polls was the very commendable voter turnout in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, where voters had the opportunity of exercising their franchise after more than 20 years.

The LTTE stifled all democratic freedoms in these areas for almost 30 years. After the terrorist group's defeat in May 2009, the Government moved in swiftly to restore civil administration and democratic practices and institutions in the North. Several local bodies in the North saw elections earlier this year.

Elections were held for 16 Pradeshiya Sabhas and three Urban Councils in the Jaffna district, three Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Kilinochchi district and one Pradeshiya Sabha in the Mullaitivu district as the de-mining process has further delayed elections to two Pradeshiya Sabhas - Pudukudiyiruppu and Maritimepatru. The Government is planning to hold Provincial Council elections in the North in due course.

It was also significant that all the mainstream political parties (UPFA, UNP and JVP) contested the Northern elections in addition to the TNA. Several independent groups were also in the fray.

Local Government polls were peaceful in the North except for a few minor incidents, said a spokesman for the Election Department.

The Jaffna district voters who cast their ballots for the first time after almost two decades showed a keen interest to vote said Assistant Returning Officer Elections Department Jaffna A. S. Karunanidhi.

The registered number of voters in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts is 435557. The Local Government election was held to elect 875 members to 65 Local Government bodies including one Municipal Council, nine Urban Councils and 55 Pradeshiya Sabhas. The total number of registered voters was 2,630,985 and 5,688 candidates contested.

Police deployed over 25,000 policemen and 500 Special Task Force personnel for election duty to maintain law and order.

A murder was reported from the Anuradhapura police area yesterday morning. A police spokesman in Anuradhapura said according to their investigations, it was not a politically motivated murder. It was due to a personal dispute, they said. The first result was announced around 9 p.m. last night.

Local Government elections for 234 local bodies were held on March 19. The ruling UPFA recorded a landslide Victory at the March election gaining 55.68 percent of the votes. The UPFA swept the polls in several districts gaining control of certain local bodies that had been earlier controlled by the opposition. The government won 19 Local Government bodies that had been controlled by the UNP earlier.

The JVP lost even the Tissamaharama Pradeshiya Sabha which they held previously. The JVP suffered a humiliating defeat having failed to win even a single local body at the March election.

Elections to the remaining few local bodies are likely to be held in a couple of months.