EC to meet on Thursday to decide on Presidential Polls date

The Election Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday (25) to take a final decision on the date for the upcoming Presidential polls, Commission sources told Times Online. 

Earlier, the Sunday Times reported that nominations for the presidential election are set to be accepted only in mid-August, not earlier, with the announcement of the exact date to be made in the coming week.

Accordingly, the election is now expected to be held on September 21, instead of October 5 or 12, as earlier indicated. Constitutionally, after the announcement of the elections, nominations should be received within 16 to 21 days, and elections should be held within 28 to 42 days, thereby giving the Commission a maximum of 63 days to conduct the poll.

Political parties, election monitoring groups and civil society groups have stepped up their campaigns, calling on the Election Commission to announce the day of nominations as early as possible. The Commission, since last Wednesday (July 17), has been empowered to make an announcement about the day of the nominations.

Elections Commissioner General Saman Shri Ratnayake told the Sunday Times that political parties and other groups should refrain from demanding an early declaration of elections as it could be seen as an interference in the Commission’s activities.

Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake told the Sunday Times that the nominations for the election would be called for “in the next few days”, with the arrangements well underway for the conduct of the polls.