May 10, Colombo: Voting in the crucial elections for the Eastern Provincial Council in Sri Lanka ended at 4.00pm (local time) amid accusations of violence, attacks and rigging.

Elections officials said according to reports received at the close of the poll, the estimated voter turnout was approximately 65% in Ampara, 55% in Batticaloa and 60% in Trincomalee.

The historically significant polls conducted in the liberated Eastern region after 20 years was electing 37 members to the provincial council. Nearly a million people were eligible to vote.

Numerous incidences of rigging, impeding polling agents or political party representatives at the polling booths and impersonations have been reported.

The ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) accused each other of violations.

The UNP sources said that there had been serious cases of election malpractices at 80 polling booths in Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts by noon. The UNP accused the government backed breakaway rebel party, TMVP activists stuffing ballot boxes in Batticaloa.

However, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha who is overseeing election activities in the Batticaloa district said that the election was conducted peacefully in the district without any major incident. He denied allegations of election malpractices by the TMVP.

Several attacks on vehicles and persons were also reported in the polling area. Two vehicles belong to the staff of Minister Rishard Badurdeen were smashed in Trincomalee, reports said.

Despite the violence the voters turned out to exercise their democratic right. The election is seen as an opportunity for Tamil leaders to form their own governance in the region since it was liberated from the LTTE terror a year ago.