Presidential Poll on November 17

by Manjula Fernando

Sri Lanka's fifth Executive President will be elected on November 17. Elections Commissioner Dayanada Dissanayake, ending rumours and speculation on the election and nominations dates yesterday announced that the Presidential Election would be held on November 17. Nominations will be received on October 7 between 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. at the Elections Secretariat at Sarana Mawatha, Rajagiriya and an extra half hour will be allocated to file objections.

A total of 13.3 million are eligible to vote at the November polls, the Elections Secretariat said. The Commissioner was expected to issue the Gazette notification calling for nominations last midnight. A spokesman for the Secretariat said the Gazette notice was sent to the Government Printer yesterday.

According to the Elections Act, candidates other than those nominated by recognised political parties, should be elected Members of Parliament to be eligible to contest.

Under section 8 of the Elections Act, a candidate representing a registered political party must deposit Rs.50,000 for nominations while it will be Rs. 75,000 for other candidates. The deposit should be made before noon on October 6.

Non-party candidates will be required to accompany their deposits with a certificate from the Parliamentary Secretary General to confirm his/her membership.

The spokesman said the deadline to apply for postal votes will be September 28, 10 days from the Gazette notice.

The Polls Chief also announced that displaced voters will be allowed to cast their votes at other polling stations. Printed application forms will be available at Returning Offices, Divisional Secretariats and Grama Niladari offices in areas where displaced people live.

The completed applications must reach the Elections Secretariat within seven days from the nominations notice.

The displaced can submit in place of the ID number, Refugee ID number, any other ID document like a passport, driving licence or company ID issued by an employer.

The application must accompany the ID number and/or the Grama Niladari certificate. Electoral Registers of displaced people will also be made available at returning offices in areas where they now live. In the Colombo district however, the registers can be viewed at specified places displaying registers for postal registration.

They include the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Colombo 7. Department of Labour, Labour Secretariat, Colombo 5, Ministry of Education, Isurupaya, Battaramulla, Inland Revenue Department, Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2. District Secretariat/ Kachcheri, Dam Street, Colombo 12. Post Master General's Office, D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo 10. Department of Irrigation, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7, Ministry of Housing and Construction Industries, Eastern Province Education & Irrigation Development, Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla. Army Headquarters, Colombo 3. Navy Headquarters, Colombo 1. Air Force Headquarters, Colombo 2. Police Headquarters, Colombo 1.