May 10, Colombo: For the first time in 20 years the people of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province are exercising their democratic rights today as the voting at the Eastern provincial council elections commenced this morning despite the LTTE bomb attacks in the region earlier.

Amid high security voters had already turned up at polling centers to cast their ballots in the crucial election. Sri Lankan government has deployed a 20,000 strong contingent of security personnel and 15,000 poll officers to man the election.

Authorities said all officers have been given strict orders to protect law and order and if necessary to use force to prevent any incidents and to ensure free and fair elections.

Voting takes place in 1,070 polling centers in three districts, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara. A total of 982,721 voters will elect 37 members to the Eastern provincial council.

Despite the heightened security measures suspected LTTE Tigers bombed and sank an empty navy cargo ship docked in the Trincomalee harbor in the pre dawn hours of Saturday.

On Friday evening Tigers exploded a bomb in a cafe in the eastern town of Ampara, killing 11 and injuring 29 people.

The election, being held after government troops liberated the East from Tiger control is seen as a major victory for the government and a boost to continue the campaign against the Tigers to similarly liberate the North.