New York, Jan 7 (IANS): Authorities in Sri Lanka should ensure that voters have safe and secure access to polling centres to vote in the presidential elections Thursday, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

Also, the state media should not be misused in favour of the incumbent, the US rights body said.

Sri Lankan monitoring groups have reported numerous acts of election-related violence and intimidation during the month-long campaign that ended Monday.

The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) documented 237 major and 183 minor incidents during the campaign.

Monitors also reported that there may have been as many as 22 attacks involving firearms. The groups also documented inappropriate use of state media by the ruling Sri Lankan Freedom Party.

“Sri Lankan authorities need to take all possible steps to ensure voters, candidates and monitors are not attacked, threatened or intimidated,” said Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch.

“The attacks and intimidation that marred the campaign can’t be allowed to continue on election day and during the counting process.”

On Monday, unidentified gunmen seriously wounded three members of the opposition United National Party during a rally in Ratnapura. Since then, the opposition presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, has made public appearances behind bullet-proof glass and with enhanced security.

There are also serious concerns about violence after the elections, regardless of the outcome, Human Rights Watch said.

The Election Commission and other relevant authorities need to ensure that police and other security forces act in an impartial manner and respect the human rights of the population.

This was especially true in the ethnic-Tamil dominated north and east of the country and other minority areas, it said.