Lankan polls campaign winds down today

The government announced that bars would remain shut for four days before and one day after Thursday's election while all campaign rallies must end by midnight Monday.

The ban on political meetings will continue for another week after the election, police said adding that the move was aimed at preventing celebrations that could lead to violence.

"This has been the most peaceful election campaign in the past 20 years," said Kingsley Rodrigo, the head of the main poll monitoring outfit, People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL).

The PAFFREL received 114 complaints of violence but they were all minor, he said, adding that violence was sharply lower compared to previous elections when dozens of people were killed.

Some 13.3 million Sri Lankans over the age of 18 years are eligible to vote on Thursday to elect a president from among 13 candidates, only two of whom are regarded as serious contenders.

The ruling party is fielding Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, who is being challenged by opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The two are poles apart on handling the island's fragile peace process and the equally troubled economy, which polls show are the main issues in the election.

The premier says he wants to change the Norwegian-brokered peace process and re-negotiate a truce with Tamil Tiger rebels, but has not spelt out details or how he wants to do it.

Wickremesinghe wants to revive talks with Tamil Tigers. Direct negotiations have been on hold since April 2003, and the Tigers for their part have said they are opposed to any unilateral action on the peace process.

The premier seeks an inward looking Marxist-oriented economic system while the opposition leader is promising to attract more foreign investment and move towards more market reforms.

Both have tried to woo the island's minority Tamils who have emerged potential king-makers, but Tiger rebels who wield considerable influence over them have remained neutral.

The majority Sinhalese community is seen as divided between the two main contenders.