RIYADH, 17 November 2005 — The Sri Lankan Embassy has made elaborate arrangements to relay live results of the fifth presidential elections being held in Sri Lanka today. The mission will be open for members of the Sri Lankan community willing to watch election results from 8 p.m. onward today. “We have installed a 59-inch television connected to Colombo via satellite at the open air auditorium of the mission,” Sri Lankan Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq told Arab News, adding that the evening program is being arranged in cooperation with the Sri Lankan Expatriates Society (SLES) in Riyadh.
“The SLES will offer three attractive prizes, including a return air ticket to Colombo offered by SriLankan Airlines, for those correctly guessing the winning candidate at the elections,” SLES President A.S.M. Illyas said, adding that a mock poll will be conducted among the expatriates who come to watch the election results. Neema Sri Lanka tea has offered to provide refreshments for the visitors free of charge throughout the night. SriLankan Airlines offered 50 percent airfare discount for those who are going to cast their votes in Colombo.
In Jeddah, the Sri Lankan Consulate, in association with the SLES, has made similar arrangements to enable the expatriates to watch the election results. Shantha Saratchandra de Silva, SLES president in Jeddah told Arab News that this will provide a good opportunity to meet Sri Lankans of all political leanings under the umbrella of the society.
