35 candidates on the final ballot for the Presidential Election

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Thirty-five candidates submitted nominations for the presidential elections today (October 07). The candidates will be contesting from 18 recognized political parties, and 2 other parties along with another 15 independent candidates. The Chairman of the Elections Commission together with the other members of the commission accepted nominations for the presidential elections at the elections commission in Rajagiriya from 9 am today (October 07). 35 out of the 41 candidates who placed bonds for the election submitted their nominations. Chamal Rajapaksa, Kumara Welgama, former Chief Minister of the Sabaragamuwa Province Maheepala Herath are among the candidates who did not submit their nominations. Chamal Rajapaksa and Maheepala Herath had arrived at the Elections Commission today (October 07). The list of presidential candidates

• Sajith Premadasa (New Democratic Front)
• Former Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake (National People's Party)
• Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka Podujana Pernamuna)
• Anura Kumara Dissanayake (JVP)
• Duminda Nagamuwa(Front Line Socialist Party)
• Ajantha Perera(Socialist Party of Sri Lanka)
• Siritunga Jayasuriya(United Socialist party)
• Badde Nandamithra(Nawa Sama Samaja party)
• Vajirapani Wijeyasiriwardena(Socialist Equality party)
• Sarath Manamendra(Nawa Sinhala Urumaya)
• Rohan Pallewatta(Jathika Sangawardena Peramuna)
• A.S.P. Liyanage(Sri Lanka Labour Party)
• Ven. Battaramulle Seelarathana Thero(Janasetha Peramuna)
• Saman Prassana Perera (Our power of people Party)
• Ariyawansa Dissanayake (Democratic United National Front)
• Attorney At law Namal Rajapaksa (Nationalities Unity Organization)
• Aruna De Soyza(Democratic national Movement)
• Ajantha De Soyza (Ruhunu Janatha Peramuna)
• Priyantha Munihath Edrisinghe(Okkoma Wasiyo - Okkoma Rajawaru Sanvidanaya)
• Subramaniyam Gunarathne(Our National Front)

Independent Candidates

• Ven Aparakke Punnaloka Thero
• Jayantha Katagoda
• Siripala Amarasinghe
• Milroy Fernando
• Sajith Vijithakumara
• Anuruddha Polgampola
• Samaraweera Weerawanni
• Ashok Wadigamagawa
• Rajeewa Wijeyasinghe
• M.K. Sivagilingam
• M.L.A.M. Hizbullah
• Illias Idroos
• Piyasiri Wijeyanayake
• Samansiri Herath
• Ahamed Hasan Mohamed

Acceptance of nominations concluded at 11:00 am. Objections were allowed until 11:30 am. During this period objections were filed against two nomination papers. Mahinda Deshapriya, Chairman of the National Elections Commission shared that both objections were suppressed as both of them are not connected to the provisions of the act. He added that all these 35 candidates are allowed to send 2 representatives to each polling station and 175 counting agents can be present at the counting centre. He further added that the commission has planned to spend Rs 4000mn on the election, however, as the number of candidates increased the cost of the election will be much higher than what they have anticipated. He requested the candidates to minimize the number of representatives sent to counting stations as it would be difficult to accommodate 160 individuals at the station. He added that they would have to find large halls to count votes and it might even take as long as 2-3 days to conclude the counting.