International observers start work in Sri Lanka poll

COLOMBO, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Some 55 international observers started work on Sunday in Sri Lanka leading to Tuesday's sixth presidential election, Election Commission officials said.

The observers from Asian Election Monitors and Commonwealth have come from more than 20 countries.

They are now observing the impartiality of the arrangements that are in place, election officials said.

They will be carrying out mobile observation and in station observing on the polling day.

In addition to the monitors invited by the Commissioner of Elections the independent monitors People's Action for Free and Fair Elections have also invited foreign observers.

Some 14 million Sri Lankans are eligible to vote in Tuesday's presidential election at over 11,000 polling stations throughout the island.

Rajapaksa, the current president who declared polls two years prior to his six-year term, has been challenged by his former Army chief Sarath Fonseka.