Southern Province polls close

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 1999, 15:34 GMT]
Nearly 60 percent of the registered voters cast their votes in Sri Lankaís Southern Provincial Council elections today despite the rain in the region said sources.

The transporting of ballot boxes to the counting centres began soon after the voting was over and officials said that the first of the election results is expected around 10pm. today.

The Police said they had received 10 complaints of election-related violence, while the independent election monitoring bodies said they have received more than 50 complaints.

A spokesman for a monitoring committee said that 2 elections monitors had been assaulted allegedly by supporters of the ruling Peopleís Alliance (PA) in separate incidents.

"In some places the violators were carrying fire arms as well", an official said.

Sources said that many incidents have been reported in the southern districts of Galle and Matara.

Government vehicles have been used in these incidents, they added.