Several key political parties contesting in the upcoming general election signed their nomination papers today (09), according to the Election Commission. So far, 33 independent groups and political parties have submitted their nominations for the 2024 General Election.
The National People’s Power (NPP) alliance candidates signed their nomination papers at the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) headquarters in Pelawatte, while the Samagi Jana Sandanaya completed theirs at their office in Colombo.
The New Democratic Front (NDF) alliance, contesting under the symbol of the ‘Gas Cylinder,’ signed their nomination papers at the election operations office of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Flower Road in Colombo. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) submitted their nominations at their head office in Nelum Mawatha, Battaramulla.
The nomination submission process for the general election began on October 4 and will continue until noon on October 11. The deadline for postal vote applications has also been extended until midnight tomorrow (October 10).
The Election Commission announced that several foreign election observers have been invited to monitor the election. Observers from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), along with representatives from eight countries, including Russia, are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka. The European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission has also requested permission to monitor the election, while the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) are scheduled to participate as well.
The general election is set for November 14, with the new Parliament scheduled to convene on November 21, 2024.
