Polls Chief announces decision to count second preference

Colombo, September 22 (Daily Mirror) - Chairman of the Elections Commission R.M.A.L. Ratnayake announced the decision to go for a second preference count as none of the candidates had obtained the 50 percent plus one vote at the Presidential election this year as per the Presidential Elections Act of 1981.

Also, he announced that all other candidates expect NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Sajith Premadasa have been eliminated from the presidential race. 

“However if the second and third preferential votes have been marked for Dissanayake and Premadasa, they will be added to the two remaining candidates,” Ratnayake announced.

“All counting centres have been asked to go for the second preference count and send in the result to the Commission,” he added.