Sri Lanka, Nov. 16 -- More than 15 million voters will turn up at over 12,000 polling stations islandwide today to elect their seventh Executive President. This is the eighth Presidential Election since 1982. This is a crucial election that will determine the destiny of Sri Lanka for the next five years and beyond.

With 35 candidates in the fray, this election features the highest number of candidates ever in a presidential poll. This has naturally led to a logistical nightmare. The ballot paper itself is 26 inches long and ballot boxes had to be especially ordered to accommodate them.

Above all, this is set to be the costliest election ever held in Sri Lanka, with the final cost to the Government coming close to Rs. 8000 million - not ...