Lack of voter enthusiasm to mark second, third preferences

By Kelum Bandara
For the first time since 1982, the Election Commission opted to count second preferences to determine the winner of the Presidential Election this year because none of the candidates managed to secure more than 50 percent of votes in the first round in terms of the Presidential Elections Act.   
According to the law, the Commissioner declared Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake of National Peoples’ Power (NPP) and Mr. Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) as the remaining candidates after the first count.   

After that, the second and third preferences marked in the ballot of other candidates who were declared eliminated candidates were counted whether they were in favour of any of the remaining candidates.   
However, voters have marked second and third preferences only in a few thousands of ballot papers in each district.   
For example, Mr. Premadasa has got only 2,211 preferences in the Matale District whereas Mr. Dissanayake polled 1909 second preferences. In the Digamadulla electoral district, Mr. Premadasa received 4,814 second preferences and Mr. Dissanayake 3,391 second preferences.   
At every Presidential Election in the past, one of the main candidates secured more than 50 percent of votes in the first round.