UNF, UPFA confident of victory
Both parties sure of securing 113 seats:
JVP says party key to ensuring power balance:
The two main political groups, the United National Front (UNF) for
Good Governance and the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) are
both confident of securing a 113 –member working majority to form
the next government, post August 17.
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6100 candidates vie for 196 seats
SMS facilities for public complaints:
Over 6100 candidates from a record 35 political parties and 200
independent groups are vying for 196 parliamentary seats at Monday’s
General Elections. Polling will be conducted in 12,314 polling
centres island-wide, including in the seven islets in the Northern
Province, from 7.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
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Ranil dismisses being soft on LTTE
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday dismissed
allegations by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa that his alliance
was sympathetic to the Tamil rebels. “I have no reason to favour
pro-LTTE groups. I could have become the President in 2005 if I
agreed to their conditions,” said Wickremesinghe, who heads the
United National Front (UNF) for Good Governance.
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MR violating election laws?
CaFFE lodges complaint with polls chief about
‘sil redi’ campaign:
A complaint was lodged against UPFA Kurunegala District candidate
and former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Saturday (16), with the
Commissioner of Elections, for alleged violation of election laws by
distributing white cloth at various temples and promoting his
preference number at religious ceremonies.
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President Maithripala Sirisena is in Thailand making a three-day official visit and attending the second Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit. The Dialogue Summit that brings together 34 nations in the Asian region takes place from October 8 -10 in Bangkok under the theme "One Asia, Diverse Strength".
Official level discussions have commenced between Sri Lanka and Iran on reviving trade agreements that were signed between the two countries and will be put into operation soon after ironing out technicalities, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen said. 
Pakistan on Friday (September 30) officially postponed the 19th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 9 and 10. A new set of dates for holding the Summit will be announced soon through the Chair of SAARC (Nepal), reports said. 
Due to the prevailing drought, water levels of the main reservoirs have dropped to half its capacity, with authorities warning that drastic measures may need to be taken if water is to be continuously released from the reservoirs for power generation. 
To avert a possible dengue outbreak in the next three months, when the number of mosquito breeding sites are likely to surge with the monsoon rains, the Dengue Control Unit of the Health Ministry will launch an island-wide Dengue Control Week starting on Tuesday, September 27 to Monday, October 3.
Sir Richard Jolly, former Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF, and Special Adviser to the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (1996 to 2000), and Principal Coordinator of the widely-acclaimed Human Development Report will deliver a lecture on, “Development: Can Sri Lanka be a model for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)?” on September 28 at 5 pm at the BMICH Committee Room D, on the invitation of the Gamani Corea Foundation. 
Richmondite Charith Asalanka joined the elite band of school cricketers by winning the coveted Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year 2016 title for the second year in succession emulating the feats of former Sri Lankan greats Arjuna Ranatunga, 1980/82' ( Ananda) Roshan Mahanama, 1983/84'(Nalanda) Thilan Samaraweera 1994/95' ( Ananda) 'Lahiru Peiris 2004/2005 (St.Peter's) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa 2010'2011 (Royal) who had also won the award twice .
Cricketing legend and former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will grace the occasion at the 38th Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards night scheduled to take place at the Galadari Hotel on September 20. 
Stern action will be taken against traders who sell sugar above the controlled price of Rs. 95. Instructions have been given to the relevant authorities to launch island-wide search operations, a press communique from the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake said. 
Refuting speculations, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said, no decision has been taken to impose power cuts on account of the current dry spell in the country. 
