Polls chief calls for violence free campaign

Nominations close with 19 in the race

Two objections overruled

December 8, 2014, 12:00 pm 

By Dasun Edirisinghe

Commissioner General of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday urged political party leaders to ensure a violence free election campaign.

Addressing the Presidential Election Candidates who handed over their nominations at the Elections Department Auditorium, Deshapriya expressed his displeasure at several violent incidents reported from several areas.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa accompanied by UPFA General Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayantha and UPFA senior vice president, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva handed over his nomination papers and Opposition Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena handed over his in the company of UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and New Democratic Front General Secretary Sharmila Perera.

Deshapriya said that 17 recognised political parties and two independent candidates had handed over their nominations to him yesterday between 9.00am and11.00am. All 19 nominations had been accepted by the Department as two objections filed by Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne against UPFA Candidate incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa and by Nath Amarakoon against Opposition Presidential Candidate Maithripala Sirisena had been turned down.

Polls...

Candidates of the country’s seventh Presidential Election, scheduled to be held on January 08 are: Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa (United People’s Freedom Alliance), Maithripala Sirisena (New Democratic Front), Ven. Battaramulle Seelaratana thera (Janasetha Peramuna), Muthu Bandara Theminimulla (Okkoma Wesiyo Okkoma Rajawaru), Sirithunga Jayasuriya (United Socialist Party), Jayantha Kulatunga (Eksath Lanka Maha Sabha), Wimal Geeganage (Sri Lanka National Front), Ibrahim Nisthar Mohamed (United Peace Front), Duminda Nagamuwa (Frontline Socialist Party), A. S. P. Liyanage (Sri Lanka Labour Party), Sundaram Mahendran (Nawa Sama Samaja Party), Prasanna Priyankara (Democratic National Movement), Namal Ajith Rajapaksa (Our National Front), Rathnayake Arachchige Sirisena (Patriotic National Front), Sarath Manamendra (Nawa Sihala Urumaya), Ruwanthilaka Peduruarachchi (United Lanka People’s Party), Anuruddha Polgampola (Independent Group) and I. M. Ilyaas (Independent Group).

The Elections Chief said posters, cut-outs, banners and any kind of publicity materials should not be displayed in undesignated places.

Each candidate would be given 90 minutes to address the nation over the state-owned electronic media to convey his/her message in three 30 minute segments, Deshapriya said, adding that the speeches would be stopped if they campaigned in favour of others that was strictly prohibited.

The Elections Chief also asked state and private media institutions to be unbiased when giving publicity for election related matters.