Postal voting for the upcoming Presidential Election would take place on 04 and 06 September, Saman Sri Rathnayake, Commissioner General of Elections, told The Island yesterday.
Voters who are unable to cast their votes during this period would have an additional opportunity on 11 and 12 September, he said.
“The ballot papers will be distributed on August 26. Officials directly involved in election duties, such as those in the Postal Service, Police, and Election Department, can cast their votes on 04 Sept. All others eligible for postal voting can vote on the subsequent days.”
Rathnayake said that 40 individuals had submitted deposits for contesting the presidential election. Of them, 23 represent political parties and others are independent candidates.
Nominations would be accepted on Thursday (15) from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Rathnayake said. “We have notified all candidates and their representatives of the security measures in place for Thursday. The police and security forces will be responsible for maintaining security,” he added.
On the last day for placing deposits, four candidates submitted theirs: MP Namal Rajapaksa from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Janaka Ratnayake from the United Sri Lanka
People’s Party, Lalith de Silva from the United National Freedom Party, and independent candidate Sarath Kumara Gunarathne.
SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, who made the deposit on behalf of Rajapaksa, mentioned that they did so at an auspicious time. Commenting on SLPP MPs who had pledged support for President Wickremesinghe, Kariyawasam said, “Everyone with a conscience and courage will return to support Namal.”