Sri Lanka will hold its presidential elections on vember 16 and last date for acceptance of minations will start from October 7, anunced country's Election Commission on Wednesday. President Maithripala Sirisena’s term was scheduled to end on January 8 and as per Constitutional provisions, elections must be held a month before end of term. Sirisena is eligible to run for a second term but he has t me his intentions clear regarding a possible re-run. Election Commission said that nearly 15.9 million people are eligible to vote.

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Candidates for elections

ruling United National Party (UNP) has t declared its presidential candidate and is expected to anunce it next week. UNP’s main opposition party Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) anunced former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa as its presidential minee. Gotabaya Rajapaksa is younger bror of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. As per media reports, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leer Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to contest presidential elections on National People's Power movement ticket.

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Sri Lankan crisis

Last year, Sri Lanka went through a constitutional crisis when power equations kept shifting. Sirisena appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister but Supreme Court declared move unconstitutional. A -confidence motion was moved against Rajapaksa which threw country into deeper crisis. apex court h also overturned Sirisena’s decision to dissolve parliament and ordered a stay on snap elections. 

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Sri Lanka is currently reeling under severe ecomic crisis, and it ended emergency last month declared in aftermath of easter suicide bombings. According to officials, easter suicide bombings claimed 258 lives. attack has ded to woes of ecomic and political crisis in country. Even if Sirisena decides to contest election, his candidature can suffer a setback as he has been accused of failing to act on Indian intelligence inputs regarding attack. Indian intelligence h beforehand informed about jihists’ intention to target churches and or public places.

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