Voting in Sri Lanka’s general elections closed at 1700 hours on August 05, with over 60 percent turnout being reported in most districts by 1600hours as people voted amid Coronavirus health rules.

Colombo has seen 60 percent, Gampaha 62 percent, Kaluthara 60-pct, Kandy 65 percent, Matale 68 percent, Nuwara Eliya 68 percent, Galle 60 percent, Hambantota 62 percent by 1600hour, media reports quoting district secretaries said.

In Digamadulla turnout was 68 percent, in Trincomalee 69 percent.

Sri Lanka’s election commission has urged people to go to vote as various health measures were taken to control the risk of Coronavirus spread.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Party is seeking a two thirds majority in the election.

The SLPP is highlighting the success so far in containing the spread of the Coronavirus in the country.

The SLPP is widely expected to get the most seats

Under Sri Lanka’s proportional representation system assembly has 225 members of which 196 are elected and the balance appointed through a national list based on the total votes.

In the first quarter the economy contracted 1.3 percent, the state statistics office said. Most other countries have seen far greater contractions.

But Sri Lanka has slapped controls slapped after money printing weakened the balance payments.

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