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Sri Lanka’s elections commission has accepted applications from 39 candidates to run in next month’s presidential election, which will decide the course of the country’s financial reforms to survive an unprecedented economic crisis.
The commission received 39 applications and all were accepted, its head, R.M.A.L. Rathnayake, announced. More than 17 million people are eligible to vote in the Sept. 21 election.
Thirty-five candidates contested the last presidential election in 2019.
Here are the candidates who have submitted their Nominations :
1. President Ranil Wickremesinghe – Running as an Independent.
2. Sarath Keerthiratne – Independent candidate
3. Oshala Herath – Representing the Abhinava Nivahal Peramuna
4. ASP Liyanage – From the Sri Lanka Labour Party.
5. Sajith Premadasa – Leader of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya.
6. PWSK Bandaranaike – Candidate for the National Development Front.
7. Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe – Representing the National Democratic Front.
8. KK Piyadasa – Independent candidate.
9. Siritunga Jayasuriya – United Socialist Party candidate.
10. Ajantha De Zoysa – From the Ruhunu Janatha Peramuna.
11. K. Ananda Kularatne – Independent candidate.
12. Sarath Manamendra – Nava Sihala Urumaya
13. Venerable Battaramulle Seelarathana Thero – Janasetha Peramuna
14. Venerable Akmeemana Dayarathana Thero – Independent candidate.
15. Siripala Amarasinghe – Independent candidate.
16. K. R. Krishan – Arunalu Janatha Peramuna
17. Sarath Fonseka – Independent candidate.
18. Anura Kumara Dissanayake – National People’s Power
19. P. Wijesiriwardena – Socialist Equality Party
20. Antony Victor Perera – Independent Candidate
21. A. Mohammed Ilyas – Independent Candidate
22. M. M. Pemasiri – Independent Candidate
23. Anura Sydney Jayaratne – Independent Candidate
24. D. M. Bandaranaike – Independent Candidate
25. Priyantha Pushpakumara Wickremesinghe – New Sama Samaja Party
26. M. Thilakarajah – Independent Candidate
27. J. D. K. Wickremeratne – Ape Jana Bala Party
28. Roshan Ranasinghe – Independent Candidate
29. Mahinda Devage – Sri Lanka Socialist Party
30. Prasanga Suranjiva Anoj De Silva – Democratic United National front
31. P. Ariyanethran – Independent Candidate
32. Mohammed Infaz – United Democratic Alliance
33. Dilith Jayaweera – Sri Lanka Communist Party
34. Nuwan Bopage – Socialist Peoples Forum
35. Namal Rajapaksha – Samabima Party
36. Chaminda Anurudhdha – Independent Candidate
37. Namal Rajapaksa – Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
38. Janaka Ratnayake – Eksath Lanka Podujana Party
39. Lalith De Silva – United National freedom Front
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been given a gas cylinder as his symbol as an independent candidate at the 2024 Presidential election.
The symbol was given by the Elections Commission after all the candidates handed over their nominations on Thursday.
Ironically the gas cylinder was the focus of the protests in 2022 which saw then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa being forced to resign and Wickremesinghe being selected by Parliament as the President to serve till the next election taking place next month.
