COLOMBO, March 12 (Xinhuanet) -- An independent election watchdog in Sri Lanka said on Sunday that this month's local election campaign has turned relatively violent.

    Kingsley Rodrigo, the executive director of People's Action For Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), said "we have noted a marked increase in violence compared with the last parliamentary election and the presidential election."

    Sri Lanka goes to polls on March 30 to elect representatives to 330 local councils throughout the island.

    Rodrigo added that the parliamentary election held in April 2004 and the presidential election held in November 2005 were both less violent in the run-up to the elections as well as the post election period.

    Rodrigo said the high level of violence has come in spite of pleas by both main leaders, President Mahinda Rajapakse and the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe advising respective sides to refrain from violence.

    Sri Lankan election campaigns are frequently violent and the polls observer groups local and foreign have always condemned usual acrimonious campaigns.

    The election authorities meanwhile said that arrangements have been made to hold the postal voting on March 21 and 22.

    This is in spite of court censures on holding the poll in some 21 councils.

    The Appeal Court has restrained the Commissioner of Elections from holding elections for the 21 councils due to petitions filed by various contesting parties.

    The Municipal Council in the capital Colombo is one such affected councils.

    The action by election authorities to reject nominations on technical deficiencies are the main cause for court petitions. Enditem