Sri Lanka Elections 2015 *** LIVE Commentary *** First Result to be given at mid night
Live Updates :
According to CMEV, 2010 general election had 524 incidents of violence compared with 316 in the 2015 general election (06.57 pm)
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Speaking at a special media briefing Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said they have received 226 minor election violation incidents and at least 50 people have been arrested in relation to electoral law violations.
“I’m very happy to say that this election is a free and fair election. Only minor incidents reported,” Deshapriya said (06.45 pm)
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P. Saravanamuttu, the co-convenor of the Centre for Monitoring of Election Violence (CMEV) said the election was relatively free and fair. Voter turnout may not be as high as the 82 percent recorded in the January election. Historically turnout for parliamentary elections has tended to be around 65%. (6.30 pm)
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35 people have been arrested for election law violations, nine vehicles have been held. Otherwise, law enforcement has been strong. We have gone back to our election culture seen by our grand parents where election laws were largely observed and people enjoyed coming out to vote, says Keerthi Tennekoon, head of CAFFE. (6.15 pm)
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Sri Lanka Election Commissioner says no major violence reported. Asks people to celebrate election victory peacefully. (5.30 pm)
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All the liquor shops in the Island to closed on August 18, the Excise Department said. (05.00 pm)
Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Election 2015 held on Monday to elect 225 members to parliament with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa looking for a comeback as the next Prime Minister, with Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinhe look forward to secure his position.
The General Election was held seven months after a Presidential Election where Rajapakse was defeated by his former cabinet minister Maithripala Sirisena who became the President of the country.
14,088,500 Sri Lankans were eligible to vote in the election at 11,102 polling stations.