Submit ’notice of intention’ to field candidates: EC

Election Commission (EC) Chairman Mahinda Desapriya requested the political parties in writing to send him 'notice of intention' to field candidates at the presidential elections before the call for nominations, a party representative said yesterday.

The presidential elections will be held on a date between November 10 and December 8. The political party representative, who wished to be unnamed, said this was the first formal communication by the Election Commission with regard to the presidential election.

The EC has also requested political parties to refrain from fielding candidates as proxies of the main candidates. It is a practise adopted by some small political parties and independent groups for the purpose of securing airtime, advertising space and the appointment of polling and counting agents with the allocated airtime often used to promote the main candidate they support.

Mr. Deshapriya said he would reveal the names of such parties if they acted contrary to his instructions in the run-up to the elections. (Kelum Bandara)