COLOMBO (News 1st): A total of 35 new parties have submitted applications to register as political parties in the country, the National Elections Commission (NEC) said on Wednesday (Mar. 03).

The applications will be forwarded to a committee at the NEC and will first be short-listed based on whether all basic requirements are met, Attorney-at-Law Nimal Punchihewa, the Chairman of the National Elections Commission told News 1st.

Thereafter, selected applicants will be called in for interviews, where the National Elections Commission will determine which parties would be allowed to register, he added.

The registration of new political parties began in January this year and the time period granted for registration concluded on Tuesday (Mar. 03).

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