Sri Lankan presidential election starts

Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga casts her vote at a polling booth near Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, Nov. 17, 2005.

An election worker dyes fingers of voters as a preventing measure for double balloting at a polling booth in Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, Nov. 17, 2005. Sri Lankan presidential election started on Thursday as 13.3 million voters began to cast their ballots to choose their new president from 13 contenders.

A woman gets a ballot from an election worker at a polling booth in Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, Nov. 17, 2005. Sri Lankan presidential election started on Thursday as 13.3 million voters began to cast their ballots to choose their new president from 13 contenders.

A voter casts his ballot at a polling booth in Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, Nov. 17, 2005. Sri Lankan presidential election started on Thursday as 13.3 million voters began to cast their ballots to choose their new president from 13 contenders.