The major contenders at next Saturday’s presidential elections have voiced confidence they would emerge victorious.The 38-day-old campaign is due to end at midnight on Wednesday. The next two days, Thursday and Friday, will be blackout periods during which campaigning is prohibited by law. Easily the most violence-free election barring a handful of incidents, polling is to be held in 12,845 booths where 15.9 million people will be eligible to vote. In the event, one of the candidates receives fifty percent plus one vote of the total vote, the results, according to the National Elections Commission, are likely to be declared by noon on Sunday. If it does not materialise, the announcement could be delayed by as many as two days, NEC officials said.
Unlike previous elections, polling has been extended by one hour from 7a.m. to 5 p.m.Elections Commissioner General Saman Ratnayake said that returning officers were yesterday given further instructions on the extended polling hours and related matters. He said two more briefing rounds were being planned.More than 40,000 police officers are being deployed on polls duty, Police Elections Secretariat chief Sarath Peiris said. “The services of the armed forces will be obtained by Police to escort ballot boxes or cope with other exigencies,”
