Sri Lankans tire of crucial polls

By Sanjoy Majumder BBC News, Colombo

Mr Wickramasinghe (left) and Mr Rajapakse are top contenders

"I am not voting. I couldn't care less."

Bandula runs a small shop selling Chinese electronic goods in Colombo's bustling Pettah market.

Like many Sri Lankans, he is fed up of constant elections - parliamentary elections were held last year and Thursday's presidential vote will be the fourth poll in six years.

Voter apathy has been evident throughout the 13 million-strong electorate in Sri Lanka, where campaigning ended on Monday.

Rallies have been poorly attended in many regions.

Despite the apparent voter disenchantment, Sri Lanka faces arguably one of its most critical polls Send your questions to voters in Sri Lanka

In Tamil Tiger-controlled areas, the rebels are less than enthusiastic.

They have no candidate running and profess to having no interest in the vote's outcome, but they say they will not interfere in the electoral process.

Peace and economy

Despite the apparent voter disenchantment, Sri Lanka faces arguably one of its most critical polls.

There are 13 candidates, but the election is really a straight fight between Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and former premier Ranil Wickramasinghe of the United National Party (UNP).

The authorities are taking no chances with security

Both hold radically contrasting positions on the country's economic crisis and on how to manage the long-running ethnic conflict with the Tamil Tigers.

Mr Rajapakse has taken an increasingly hardline approach towards the peace process - he recently rejected a Tamil Tiger demand for autonomy and openly questioned the role of Norwegian peace brokers - and also wants a ceasefire agreement to be renegotiated.

Mr Wickramasinghe, who signed the ceasefire agreement with the rebels in 2002, says he will revive the stalled peace talks with the rebels and reach some kind of outcome in the next few years.

But a fear of increasing violence capped by the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August have left Sri Lankans divided on the question of power-sharing between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil communities.

The Tamil Tigers, who were blamed for the killing, denied having a hand in it.

Urban-rural divide

The urbane and sophisticated Mr Wickramasinghe is a favourite of urban voters and members of the business community.

With inflation at an all-time high, it is likely that economic issues may sway the voters' minds

The UNP has always favoured privatisation of industry and the free market, and successive UNP regimes have pushed economic reform in the country.

A vote for Mr Wickramasinghe is seen as a decisive push for economic reforms.

In contrast, Mr Rajapakse draws his support from the countryside, particularly the Sinhala-Buddhist-dominated south to which he belongs.

A popular politician, Sri Lanka's prime minister has long pushed the cause of workers - from daily-wage labourers to fishermen.

But Mr Rajapakse's constituency, the coastal town of Hambantota, was one of the areas badly hit by last December's tsunami in which more than 30,000 Sri Lankans died.

Tsunami complaint

Many tsunami victims have complained that the reconstruction process has been too slow and they are still waiting for long-term rebuilding to take place.

The tsunami also badly affected minority Tamils and Muslims, who complain of discrimination in tsunami-aid distribution.

President Kumaratunga has dominated Sri Lankan politics

A deal to share more than $3bn in tsunami aid between the Tamil Tigers and the government came unstuck earlier this year.

The agreement is bitterly opposed by radical Buddhist groups and the nationalist JVP, both of whom are backing Mr Rajapakse.

Mr Wickramasinghe is counting on the support of the minorities to redress the imbalance.

But with inflation at an all-time high, it is likely that economic issues may sway the voters' minds.

Thursday's vote will also bring to an end the presidency of Chandrika Kumaratunga, one of the country's most controversial and charismatic politicians.

Mrs Kumaratunga, who was clearly upset at having to step down after a Supreme Court ruling that her term had come to an end, may still end up playing a role in the country's politics.

Born into the SLFP's first family - her father was the party's founder and her mother succeeded him after he was assassinated in 1959 - she is likely to continue to influence the party's direction.

There are some suggestions that her party's candidate, Mr Rajapakse, does not have her complete backing since his victory could undermine her authority within the party.

One thing appears certain, however.

Whoever wins the presidency is likely to push for a mid-term parliamentary poll.

Which would leave Sri Lankans facing yet another election.