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CBK displeased with shutterbugs
When President Chandrika Kumaratunga arrived to vote at her polling booth at Attanagalla, she did not seem very pleased with the many photographers and cameramen surrounding her. When she went over to look up the notice pasted on the school wall where she was voting, giving the preferential voting numbers and names of candidates, she asked her security men to request the cameramen to move out.

Why do they want to take photographs of me here?" she queried.
After casting her vote, the President made a hasty exit without talking to reporters or voters in her electorate.

Not a VIP, says cop
In Colombo where the JVP's Wimal Weerawansa was voting, it was a policeman on duty who was angry that the politician was being photographed.

"Why are you taking photos of him? He's not such an important person," the angry policeman shouted at a group of photographers and asked them to leave the polling booth. At least we know that he is not a supporter of the UPFA.

Confusion over symbols
There was also confusion over symbols. The conch shell, the symbol of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) was next to a coconut, the symbol of the Jathika Sanvardana Peramuna on the Colombo district ballot paper and many supporters of the JHU were making sure that people did not confuse the two.

" Now make sure you look at the paper carefully and mark a cross next to the shell," an ardent supporter of the JHU was overheard telling another while standing in line to cast her vote at Moratuwa.

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