Parties windup election campaign

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 October 2000, 12:44 GMT]
Political parties and independent groups contesting parliamentary elections will end their campaigning Saturday midnight, 48 hours prior to election date as stipulated in the parliamentary election Act. Meanwhile the police has stepped security measures in Colombo and its suburb as major political parties are holding their final rallies in the capital.

The ruling People's Alliance will hold its final rally at Horana Saturday evening. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake is expected to address the rally.

The leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition United national Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremasinghe will wind up his party's election campaign at Maradane, while the JVP's final election rally will be held at Mount Lavinia junction.

In the meantime, the Election Secretariat has said that all arrangements have been finalized for the general election on 10th of October. Nearly 100,000 officers would be posted for duty.

Voting will take place at 9946 polling centers in the country. 5,048 candidates are contesting election to 225-seat parliament. The number of registered eligible voters stand at around 12.1 million. Counting will take place at 809 centers.