Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has declared that it is inappropriate for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to entertain public officials after a Presidential election has been declared.

The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), the largest political party in the East, now wants voters to support “a candidate who has the backing of a political party” that would resolve Tamil grievances. This official position of the party was declared in a statement (issued in Tamil) by the TMVP after a politburo meeting on Friday.