The PAFFREL Organisation says that it has decided to obtain the assistance of foreign monitors for the upcoming presidential elections.

Executive Director of the organisation Rohana Hettiarachchi said the consent of the Elections Commissioner has been received in this regard. Accordingly, he said that steps would be taken to obtain the services of 35 foreign monitors for the presidential elections.

The monitors would be assigned to cover twenty two districts in the country.

Meanwhile, National Organiser at the National Elections Monitors center Rasanga Harischandra said that they expect to assign 2500 local monitors to carry out monitoring activities of the upcoming presidential election.

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya issuing a extraordinary gazette notice announced that the presidential election will be held on  January 8. According to the gazette notice, nominations for the election will be called in this regard on December 8.

• No record of letter from Ex-Sports Minister on 2011 CWC match-fixing claim : ICC
• Nigerian sentenced to death for cocaine possession
• Prabhakaran said he wanted to have TNA leaders killed; Karuna regrets not doing so
• There is no evidence to claim the 2011 Cricket World Cup final was fixed – Police
• SIU will no longer summon cricketers to record statements