Sri Lanka ready for polls

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COLOMBO, Jan. 25 (Xinhua): Sri Lanka's Elections Department commenced initial arrangements ahead of Tuesday's presidential election, officials said Monday.
The department said dispatch of ballot boxes and officials to over 11,000 polling stations in 22 electoral districts had begun. All of them should be available at respective stations by 3 p.m local time (0930 GMT)
G. A. J. Sylvester, the chief election official for the capital Colombo said that 1026 polling stations would be operational in the capital district.
Some 14 million people are expected to vote between 7 a.m and 4 p.m local time (0130 to 1030 GMT) at Tuesday's poll.
Meanwhile, the independent watch group, CMEV or the Center for Monitoring Election Violence said that they were concerned that the integrity of the election process was seriously damaged in the run-up to the election.
"There was a blatant disregard for the rule of law, undermining of the authority of the Elections Commissioner," Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, the Head of CMEV told reporters.
More than 800 cases of election-related violence including five deaths have been reported since the election was declared in November.
Rajapaksa, the incumbent, finds formidable challenge from his former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka in the sixth presidential election of the country which is to be held on Jan. 26. Both go for public to claim credit for their role of crushing the Tamil Tiger rebellion and the unification of the country after over three decades
Meanwhile: Sri Lanka's president vowed Monday to ensure the island's first post-war presidential election goes off peacefully after deadly violence and opposition claims the ruling party was plotting a coup.
At least four people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the run-up to Tuesday's vote, being held after the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated by government troops in May, ending almost four decades of conflict.
Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakse, who ordered the bloody military offensive that crushed the Tigers, is facing the strongest challenge from Sarath Fonseka, the army chief who led the troops in battle.
Rajapakse urged the authorities on Monday to conduct a free and fair poll and ensure that people could vote without fear of violence.
"The Sri Lanka government calls for a peaceful election, and stands committed to taking whatever steps deemed necessary to ensure the same," his office said in a statement.
About 120,000 public officials will oversee the ballot, in which 14 million people are eligible to choose from 22 candidates.
"We have sent ballot boxes to the provinces and all public servants involved in the conduct of the poll will be at their stations by noon today," a spokesman for the independent Elections Commission said.
The two Sinhalese nationalists fell out after the war, with Fonseka retiring from the military after he was sidelined by Rajapakse and launching his surprise challenge for the presidency.