Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Thursday refused to issue interim order that would prevent the voters in the Tamil Tiger-held areas from voting in the country's Nov. 17 presidential poll.

Two of the 13 presidential candidates in the fray, Nelson Perera and Vimal Geeganage, had filed action pleading that the Elections Commissioner should not go ahead with the election in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-controlled areas in the north and east provinces.

The petitioners claimed that no free and fair poll would be possible in the areas.

They cited last parliamentary election held in April 2004 and the report issued by the European Union polls monitors, who said that large scale malpractice had taken place in the areas.

The Supreme Court, while saying that European Union polls observer report should not be treated lightly, ruled that no interim order was necessary.

The court appeared to be content with the arrangements already made by Dayananda Dissanayake, the Elections Commissioner, to hold the poll.

The court recommended Dissanayake and parties hold talks and discuss ways such as implementing a proper identification system of the voters at the time of casting the ballots.

The case is to be taken up again on Nov. 7.

In the 2001 parliamentary election, two voters who filed fundamental rights violation cases against the Sri Lanka Army stating they were blocked from entering government areas to vote were successful in securing a court order in their favor.

Source: Xinhua