It’s Election Day

Nearly 16 million (15,992,096 to be exact) voters are eligible to vote today. Of them 659,030 were eligible to vote by post. There will be 12,845 polling booths – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

Elections are always exciting and interesting. ‘Will my candidate win?’ ‘How many will lose their deposits?’ ‘Which party will get a majority?’ ‘Who will form the government?’ These and many more questions are discussed whenever there is an election where voters in the whole country vote. 

From 7 in the morning today voters will tread to their polling booths to cast their vote. Today’s is the Presidential Election to elect one person – one who wields lot of power. 

Nearly 16 million (15,992,096 to be exact) voters are eligible to vote. Of them 659,030 were eligible to vote by post. There will be 12,845 polling booths. 

Although it’s clear that the contest is between three or four persons at the most, 35 candidates are in the fray. Nineteen of them are from political parties recognised by the Elections Department. (In all, the Election Commission has recognised 70 political parties). The balance are independent candidates. It will be interesting to see how the independents perform and how many would save their deposits.

A feature of this election is that the candidates are from ‘new’ parties – when at least three of them are members of well-known parties. The three candidates are Sajith Premadasa – UNP (the ruling party), Gotabaya Rajapaksa – SLFP and Anura Kumara Dissanayake – JVP. 

At today’s election Sajith P is contesting from the New Democratic Front (comprising six parties including the UNP/Sri Lanka Muslim Congress/Jathika Hela Urumaya/ Tamil National Alliance); Gotabaya R from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (12 parties including the SLFP/Ceylon Workers Congress/LSSP/CP/MEP), Anura KD from the National People’s Power (three parties – JVP/United National Front).  What is seen as “a positive development” at this election campaign is the sharp drop of election-related violence and crimes when compared to previous elections. It is notable that over the years such violence has been dropping. 

In addition to three frontline candidates in the fray – Deputy UNP Leader Sajith Premadasa, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the SLPP and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake – at least two others – former Army Commander General (retired) Mahesh Senanayake from the National People’s Party (NPP) and Battaramulle Seelarathana Thera from the Janasetha Peramuna – appeared to be making an impact during the propaganda campaign.

The other candidates are: Ajantha Wijesinghe ( Socialist Party of Sri Lanka), Saman Prasanna Perera (Ape Janabala Paksaya), Ariyawansa Dissanayaka (Democratic United National Front), Siritunga Jayasuriya (United Socialist Party), B.G. Nandimithra (New Samasamaja Party), Wajirapani Wijesiriwardana (Socialist Equality Party), Sarath Manamendra (Nawa Sihala Urumaya), Rohan Pallewatta (Nationa Development Front), A.S.P. Liyanage (Sri Lanka Labour Party), Duminda Nagamuwa (Frontline Socialist Party), Aruna De Soyza (Democratic National Campaign), Ajantha De Soyza (Ruhunu Janatha Party), Priyantha Edirisinghe (Okkoma Wasiyo Okkoma Rajawaru Organization), Namal Rajapaksa (Jathika Samagi Peramuna) and Subramaniam Gunaratne (Ape Jaithika Peramuna).

The independent candidates are: Jayantha Katagoda, Siripala Amarasinghe, Aparakke Punnananda Thera, Miroy Fernando, Samansiri Herath, Vijithakumara Keerthiratne, Chaminda Anurudha, Samaraweera Weerawanni, Ashoka Wadigamangawa, Idrus Mohamed, Piyasiri Wijenayaka, Rajiva Wijesinghe, M.K.Sivajilingam, M.L.A.M. Hisbulla and Hassa Mohamed Alevi.