Colombo: Sri Lanka people turned out in large numbers to vote on Wednesday by wearing face masks and carrying their own pens to vote in Parliamentary elections. The Parliamentary election was postponed twice in the past.

The poll is expected to be won by the powerful Rajapaksa family run Sri Lanka People’s Party. According to Chairman of the National Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya, the Election conducted amidst Covid- 19 pandemic fears, concluded in a peaceful manner, with the voted turn out being 70%.  Under the guidelines, every voter’s hands were cleaned before and after voting as special arrangements were made to transfer the indelible ink to the index finger, with no physical contact with any surface at the polling station.

The Election Commission had allowed the voters to take a black or blue colour ball-point pen to mark the vote. The polls closed at 5 pm local time. The counting will takes place only on Thursday and results would be announced later in the evening.  Rajapaksa’s SLPP is expecting to win control of the 225 member Assembly by a comfortable margin, according to the analysis.