However, reports say that political party representatives had not turned up for observation activities as the Elections Commissioner had earlier informed them that postal voting of all police officers would take place on Dec. 26.

Upon inquiring over this, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya had said that although Dec. 26 was allotted for postal voting of police officers, policemen of certain police stations have exercised their franchise on Dec. 23.

These stations include the police headquarters as well as that in the Hambantota police division and 10 divisions in Kurunegala, he added.

The decision was taken to do so as the tsunami commemoration functions in Hambantota as well as several meetings of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Kurunegala division on Dec. 26 would mean mandatory duty for these stations, Deshapriya further added.