More than 1.7 million voters were expected to cast ballots yesterday in a key provincial election in Sri Lanka, seen as a test of the ruling coalition’s popularity after defeating the Tamil Tiger separatists.
Government troops crushed the rebel group in May, ending nearly three decades of civil war.
That military victory boosted the popularity of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s coalition United People’s Freedom Alliance among ethnic majority Sinhalese.
Voting started early yesterday for the assembly in Rajapaksa’s native Sinhalese-majority province.
Fifty-two political parties and independent groups have fielded 1,091 candidates for 53 seats on the provincial council. Results are expected today.
The ruling alliance already controls seven of the country’s nine provinces with large majorities.
After yesterday’s vote, only the northern province — the former battle zone where parts were controlled by the rebels — will have yet to vote.
Rajapaksa’s main rival, the United National Party (UNP), had favored negotiations with the Tamil Tigers but has been largely sidelined after the government’s successful military campaign.
The opposition parties have accused the government of using military victories for political gain and claimed the ruling coalition misused state properties during the election.
“This isn’t a fair election,” said Tissa Attanayake, UNP’s general secretary, accusing the government of using state resources for campaigning.
Sri Lankan Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena dismissed the opposition accusations, saying “they are trying to find excuses for their defeat even before the results are announced.”
Tamil rebels fought to create a separate homeland for the ethnic minority Tamils. About 75 percent of Sri Lanka’s 20 million people are ethnic Sinhalese and 18 percent are Tamils.
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