COLOMBO (News1st): Political demonstrations and rallies will be banned for a week from Friday in line with election laws, the national election commission has said.

Lawbreakers will be charged under the Parliamentary Elections Act, the polls body’s commissioner-general Saman Sri Ratnayake warned.

Police officers have been deployed to maintain order across the country as the election commission released the results of Wednesday’s poll.

Special task force officers have also been dispatched with mobile patrol units, senior deputy police chief of the elections range Priyantha Weerasuriya said.

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna secured a massive 145 seats in the 225-seat legislature, five short of a two-thirds majority.

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