2nd Lead (Adds background)

Jaffna reports high turnout, Erlalai booths close early

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 April 2004, 11:14 GMT]
Civil society sources in Jaffna said that there was high voter turnout in Chunnakam and Mallakam area. However, reports from Erlalai said that the booths at Erlalai Saiva Shanmarga Vidiyalayam were suddenly closed around 3.55pm and the gates were locked preventing further voting. Further details are not known.

There are nine seats to be won in Jaffna.

Total number of seats for the whole of Sri Lanka is 196, and together with 29 National list candidates, there are 225 seats to be won in today's elections.

The General Election, the 13th in Sri Lankan Parliamentary history, will begin at 7 am in 10,670 polling booths in 22 districts across Sri Lanka.

Polling will end at 4 pm. Nearly 12,890,000 voters are eligible to participate in this year's poll, among them 400,000 are new voters.

According to Department of Elections website, results of the postal voting, which took place on March 24 and 25, are expected to be announced later tonight. Full district-wise results and the composition of Parliament will be known by tomorrow afternoon.

Number of seats per district:

Batticaloa ------- 05
Trincomalee ---- 04
Wanni ----------- 06
Jaffna ----------- 09
Digamadulla ---- 07
Colombo -------- 20
Gampaha ------- 17
Kalutara --------- 10
Galle ------------ 10
Matara ---------- 08
Hambantota ---- 07
Badulla ---------- 08
Moneragala ----- 05
Kandy ----------- 12
Matale ----------- 05
Nuwara Eliya ----- 07
Anuradhapura --- 08
Polonnaruwa ----- 05
Kurunagala ------ 16
Puttalam --------- 08
Ratnapura ------- 10
kegalla ---------- 09


Total ------------ 196


Related Articles:
02.04.04   2001 - Election Results


External Links:

Sri Lanka:

Department of Elections