Eighteen contestants pay deposits for presidential polls

by Manjula Fernando

Eighteen presidential hopefuls including two from independent groups made financial deposits last Friday to contest the upcoming Presidential election.

A spokesperson for the Elections Department said yesterday, the number of candidates may increase with another day remaining to accept deposits.

The Elections Department Chief Accountant accepted financial deposits from November 24 to December 5 on all working days from 8.30am to 4.30 pm. Today, the final day for deposits, the parties are required to make the nomination deposits between 8.30am and 12.00 noon.

According to election law a candidate nominated by a recognised political party is required to deposit a sum of Rs.50,000 while an independent candidate needs to deposit Rs.75,000 to be eligible to contest the Presidential polls scheduled on January 8 next year.

The nominations from candidates will be accepted on Monday, December 8.

The political parties and independent groups who have overcome this first hurdle are, Janasetha Peramuna (Ven. Battaramulle Seelaratana thera), Okkoma Wesiyo Okkoma Rajawaru Party (M.B.Thembilimulla), Socialist Equality Party (Pani Wijewardena), United Sociaist Party (Siritunga Jayasuriya), United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (Rajapaksa Perci Mahendra), Eksath Lanka Maha Sabha Party ( Jayantha Kulatunga), Sri Lanka National Front (Wimal Geeganage), New Democratic Front (Pallewatte Gamaralalage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena), United Peace Front (Mowlavi Ibrahim Nisthar Mohamed Mislar), Frontline Socialist Party (Duminda Nagamuwa), Sri Lanka Labour Party (A.S.P.Liyanage), Nawa Sama Samaja Party (Sundaram Mahendran), Democratic National Movement (Katugampala Appuhamilage Prasanna Priyankara), Our National Front (Rajapaksa Arachchilage Namal Ajith Rajapaksa), Patriotic National Front (Ratnayake Arachchige Sirisena) and Nawa Sihala Urumaya (Sarath Manamendra).