World / Voting for Presidential Election continues in Sri Lanka; Gunmen fired on buses filled with Muslim voters

Colombo: Voting continues for the presidential election in Sri Lanka. This is the first major election in the country after the attack on churches at Easter. However, despite tight security, some unknown assailants opened fire on buses full of Muslims in Tantirimala on Saturday morning. No casualties have been reported yet. Police say the gunmen had already planned the attack. They burnt tires on the road to stop the fleet of buses. After this, as soon as the buses passed through the route, they started firing. Some attackers also threw stones.

It is reported that Muslim voters were being taken to Sri Lanka's coastal town of Puttalam to Mannar. Police reached the spot after the incident and blocked the area. The buses were dispatched under tight security by police and security forces. 

A dispute between the police and the army ahead of the vote 

led to tension between police and security forces in Sri Lanka's Tamil-dominated Jaffna on Saturday morning. The police complained to the Election Commission that the military was illegally planting road blocks on the roads, causing problems for citizens to move freely from polling booths. The army started removing these road blocks following a police complaint. 

First major election after Easter attack

Security has been tightened in the country since the first election after the Easter attack. Additional staff have been appointed at polling stations. 60 thousand police personnel have been deployed across the country. The candidate who will get 50% votes will be the next President. The voters have also been given the option to select three top candidates on the ballot paper. If no candidate is able to get half the votes, then the winner will be decided by the votes received on the basis of priority.

Sri Lanka's most expensive Election

This is considered to be the most expensive election in Sri Lanka's history. An estimated 300 crore rupees will be spent in voting. For the first time, a 26-inch ballot paper and large ballot box are being used. Facilities like electricity, water and telephone are being provided at polling stations. 35 candidates are in the fray and 16 million people will exercise their franchise.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premdasa are strong candidates

The election contest is expected to be tightened between former Defense Secretary Gautabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa, the ruling party candidate. Gautabaya Rajapaksa has the support of his brother and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Premdas has carried out intensive campaigning in the last two weeks. National People's Power Alliance candidate Anura Kumar Dissanayake is also considered a strong candidate. Outgoing President Maithripala Sirisena is not contesting this time. None of his party's candidates are in the fray.