Commissioner to meet leaders before fixing poll date

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 August 2005, 11:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Election Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake is reported to have decided to meet the leaders of all main political parties during the next two weeks before taking a decision to fix the date for the next presidential election. The leader of ruling United Freedom Peoples Alliance (UPFA) government and incumbent President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge insists that the next presidential election should be held in December 2006. However the main opposition United National Party (UNP) demands that the election should be held before December this year, sources said.

The Office of the Election Commission (EC) has already sent letters to general secretaries of all main political parties inviting their leaders for discussion on the controversial subject, political sources said.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has already informed election-monitoring teams which are functioning at the national level to be prepared to monitor the Presidential election if held this year, EC sources said.

EC has contacted a private computer firm to announce the results of the election with least delay, sources said.