Polls held in Western and Southern Councils in Lanka

The elections for the Western and Southern Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka were held today peacefully, even as a low voter turn out was recorded.
The polls ended peacefully with no major incidents and counting of ballots commenced at 608 counting centers in the provinces.
"This will be one of the lowest polled elections in the Western province's history," Keerthi Tennnakoon of the monitoring group, CAFFE or Campaign for Free and Fair Elections said.
He said the key Western province may end up with a voter turn out less than 50 per cent.
Over 5 million voters were eligible to vote in the polls.

Overall in the two provinces, the turn out could be around 60 per cent, Rohana Hettiarachchi, of the main monitoring group People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), said.

The two elections were called in January by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa to test his popularity.
He based his campaign on the issue of the Sri Lanka resolution adopted on Thursday at the UN Human Rights Council.
Rajapaksa asked the voters to give an adquate response to what he alleged devious Western designs aimed at toppling his regime.
"We may have lost in Geneva that is because the Europeans have ganged up against us. But what matters to me is the victory given by my own countrymen", Rajapaksa said after voting in his home base of Hambantota.

The UNHRC resolution prescribed an international investigation into alleged war crimes committed by government troops in the final battle with the LTTE five years ago.
The ruling coalition is expected to retain control of both councils.
The provincial elections are being seen as prelude to the next presidential election when Rajapaksa seeks his third successive term. It could be held in 2015.