After three decades of war, the people of Jaffna are having a new experience of democracy during the current local election.

Candidates and supporters of political parties are freely engaged in a campaign for the forthcoming poll to the Jaffna Municipal Council.

Experiencing the new born freedom, candidates in the fray are holding rallies and pocket meetings in all parts of the municipal limits of Jaffna.

The campaigns involve political party supporters moving around to support their candidates, using loudspeakers fixed to cars, vans and three wheelers as in other areas of the country having elections.

Being suppressed for long by a terrorist group, supporters of all candidates seem to have realized the need to avoid clashes during this election. "So far no untoward incidents have been reported”, law enforcement authorities said.

Jaffna and Vavuniya voters are due to poll in early August to elect representatives to local bodies of their choice in a free and democratic atmosphere, after thirty years.