Presidential race begins:

Thirteen in the fray
 

BY MANJULA Fernando

THIRTEEN candidates in the Presidential race handed in their nominations yesterday to Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake at the Elections Secretariat in Rajagiriya.

The two main contenders in the November 17 poll, UPFA candidate Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and UNP candidate Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe handed over their nominations to the Commissioner at the auspicious times of 10.37 a.m. and 9.44 a.m.

The Elections Secretariat and its immediate environs was declared a High Security Zone with all entry points sealed off to ensure the security of candidates and other VIPs.

Heavily armed commandos, the STF and police units in addition to the bomb disposal squad were deployed inside and outside the Secretariat and neighbouring buildings as protection measures for the two main candidates.

Eksath Lanka Podujana Party candidate Victor Hettigoda, was the first to arrive at 8.15 am at the Secretariat. He even preceded the Commissioner himself.

Shortly after the arrival of the Commissioner the Prime Minister's motorcade pulled up outside the Secretariat at 8.56 a.m.

The Premier was accompanied by party members and Ministers including Maithripala Sirisena, Susil Premajayantha, Mangala Samaraweera, D.M. Jayaratne, Rohitha Bogollagama and Anura Priyadharshna Yapa.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was the next to arrive to the accompaniment of cheers of the party faithful. Joining them a short while later were the CWC and SLMC leaders.

Coincidentally one of the candidates, Siritunga Jayasuriya whose United Socialist Party symbol is the trishaw arrived in a red three wheeler.

Fourteen candidates furnished deposits to contest the poll. However, Seinullabdeen Nasheer Ahmad of the Muslim National Alliance held back his nomination papers at the last moment to announce he would be supporting the UNP candidate.

The Commissioner after receiving all 13 nominations called on the candidates for their cooperation to hold a free and fair election.

Dissanayake then hosted the candidates and their witnesses to a tea party where all the contestants despite their political rivalries engaged in open camaraderie. No objections were filed against any candidate between 11.00 to 11.30 am, the time allowed for such objections.

The two main contenders were received by their jubilant and cheering party members at the exit and were ushered away from opposite directions of the Sarana Road.