COLOMBO, Oct 21, Reuter: Sri Lanka will hold Presidential elections on December 19, the elections commission announced on Friday.
In a statement, the Commissioner said nominations from candidates contesting the poll would be accepted on November 10.
Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premada is the ruling United National Party’s Candidate, His main rival is Freedom Party Leader Sirima Bandaranaike, a former Prime Minister.
President Junius Jayewardene steps down next February after 11 years in power.
Jayewardene has been grappling with a Tamil Separatist rebellion in northern and eastern Sri Lanka and with a violent campaign by the Marxist People’s Liberation Front in the south.
The front, blamed for inciting widespread antigovernment protests in the south, is opposed to an India Sri Lanka peace accord signed last year.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 28, 1988
