Lanka poll sees high turnout

COLOMBO, Jan 8 (AFP):  Voting in Sri Lanka's bitterly fought presidential election closed Thursday with monitors and officials saying turnout was high, despite some reports of intimidation.
With final tallies still being prepared, election officials estimated participation reached more than 70 per cent in most places in the first seven hours of voting.
Voter numbers were unusually high in the Tamil-dominated north and east of the country, which have boycotted national elections in the past, the officials said.
There were no major reports of violence, although the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), a private monitoring group, said a small number of voters had been prevented from casting their ballots.