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JVP, DP likely to pose challenge
View(s):Nearly 5.8 million people are eligible to go to the polls on Saturday to elect 155 representatives to the Western and Southern Provincial Councils with a resurgent JVP under a new leadership and the Democratic Party (DP) of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka expected to pose a challenge to the two main parties.
The Western Province, the largest in the country, will elect 102 members and the Southern Province 53 candidates from more than 3,700 who are vying for a seat in the PCs.
Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said arrangements to hold the polls had been finalised with 4,243 polling centres set up across the two provinces.
He was also not taking any chances over security with more than 12,000 police personnel detailed for election-related duties. This includes 2,500 riot squad police officers who will be on standby to quell any disturbances. Eighty-one political parties and 42 independent groups are in the fray.