Number of presidential candidates rises to 17

Colombo, August 05 (Daily Mirror) -  Three more candidates placed cash deposits for the upcoming Presidential election today (05) pushing the total number of candidates to seventeen.

According to the Election Commission, the candidates who placed deposits today are Siripala Amarasinghe, Sarath Fonseka (Independent candidate) and K.R. Krishan from the Arunalu Janata Peramuna.

Accordingly, other candidates are President Ranil Wickremesinghe, former MP Sarath Keerthirathne and K.K. Piyadasa, former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Oshala Herath from ‘Abhinawa Niwahal Peramuna’, A.S.P. Liyanage of the Sri Lanka Labour Party, Sajith Premadasa of the ‘Samagi Jana Balawegaya’, P.W.S.K. Bandaranayake from ‘Jathika Sanwardhana Peramuna’, Ajantha De Zoysa from the Ruhunu Janatha Party, Siritunga Jayasuriya from the United Socialist Party, K. Ananda Kularatne, Sarath Manamendra from the Nawa Sihala Urumaya, Akmeemana Dayaratna Thera and Battaramulle Seelaratne Thera.

Nominations will be accepted till August 15. The Election Commission officially announced that the Presidential election will be held on September 21.