The receiving of nominations for the general elections in Sri Lanka has concluded across the island today. The election commission has said that objections will be received by 1:30 pm. As per the Election Commission, 147 political parties and 94 independent groups had placed their nominations until yesterday. Several top politicians’ names have been submitted by their respective parties from among the electoral districts as well as the national list.

 

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya will contest the election from Colombo. The ruling National People’s Power Alliance has also nominated a representative of the Persons with Disabilities community for the national list. However, many senior politicians, including former presidents and ministers, have decided not to contest. Among them are former presidents such as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Ranil Wickramasinghe; former minister Nimal Siripala de Silva; former speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena; former foreign minister Ali Sabri; former justice minister; and the candidate of the last presidential election, Wijedasa Rajapaksa.

 

 

Meanwhile, the police had put in place special security arrangements at all the district secretariats across the island as well as the Election Commission office in Colombo till the completion of the nomination process. The polling is scheduled to be held on November 14th to elect 196 members from electoral districts and 29 members from the national list on the basis of proportion to their share of the national vote. Postal voting will take place on 30th of October and on 1st and 4th of November at all district secretariats and election offices.