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[Mathan]

Sri Lanka votes in tense election


<b>Voting is underway in Sri Lanka in an early election which is being seen as a referendum on the peace process with the Tamil Tiger rebels.</b>

The country has been in crisis since a bitter dispute erupted between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe.

The president called elections four years early.

Neither of the two main political parties is expected to win an outright majority in parliament.

But Mr Wickramasinghe sounded confident, when he arrived to cast his vote at a polling station in central Colombo soon after it had opened.

"I am certain people will vote for peace," he said.

"I am confident of securing a majority of seats."

Queues formed outside polling stations even before they opened, officials said.

Heavy security is in place for the vote with soldiers fanning out across the island nation.

For the first time there will be election monitors at every polling station in the country.


<b>Early elections </b>

For more than two years there has been rivalry between the president and the prime minister, who come from different political parties.

In a surprise move last November, President Kumaratunga took over the defence, interior and information ministries, effectively crippling the prime minister's government.

Then in February, the president called early elections, saying the ruling party had jeopardised national security in peace negotiations with the Tamil Tigers.

If there is a hung parliament the Tamil National Alliance, backed by the Tamil Tigers, may hold the balance of power.

Adding to the acute uncertainty, the Tamil Tigers have seen an unprecedented split after a breakaway commander, Colonel Karuna, said he wanted to form his own administration in the east to prevent discrimination by northern Tamils.

There are fears that fighting will break out between the rival rebel factions.

<b>Exodus</b>

The east of the country is already in turmoil as a result of the division.

Hundreds of Tamil businessmen, doctors and university staff have fled the area after anonymous leaflets were dropped warning Tamils who originate from the north should leave or else face being burnt to death.

Colonel Karuna has denied being behind the threats, but they were carried on the front page of a newspaper he controls, the BBC's Frances Harrison reports from Colombo.

One local businessman said he recognised the rebels who came to his house and ordered him to leave with only a few rupees in his pocket.

Several Jaffna Tamil doctors have also left the hospital in Batticaloa, prompting staff there to mount a protest.

Other people speak of Colonel Karuna's men coming to Jaffna Tamil shopkeepers, locking the shops, taking the keys away and telling them to go.

It looks as if it was an attempt to rid the east of Tamils who are not loyal to the breakaway commander, our correspondent said.

European Union election observers said they were concerned that significant numbers of people were being threatened in the east and they said they totally deplored such attempts at intimidation.

Even if Mr Wickramasinghe does receive a fresh mandate at the polls, President Kumaratunga will still be president for another year and so the unhappy cohabitation between the presidency and parliament is likely to continue.
நன்றி - http://news.bbc.co.uk