The Elections Department on Monday announced that Sri Lanka will go to polls on November 17, 2005 to elect a new President. Nominations for the polls will open on October 7, 2005, between 9.00 and 11.00 in the morning, the Elections Department said.
So far the two major parties the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party have named their candidates to contest the Presidential polls, while the recently formed Muslim National Alliance' also touting plans for their own contestant.
Some 13.3 million Sri Lankans are eligible to vote at the up coming polls to elect the island’s fourth President.
So far three Presidents’ have been voted in for a total of five terms (including current term of President Kumaratunga).
However Sri Lanka has had four persons taking the President’s seat including D B Wijeyatunge – who was voted in by parliament to complete assassinated former President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s term.
Sri Lanka last voted in a Presidential election back in 1999,