JVP to go it alone at presidential polls
Common candidate was a term that no longer had any political value in the country thanks to the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government, JVP Kalutara District MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said, addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte.
He said that the people had enough of common candidates and no party would be able to field another one at the next presidential election.
Dr. Jayatissa said the JVP would not form any more electoral alliances and would field its own candidate at the presidential polls.
Asked to reveal the name of its candidate, the MP said that it would be revealed at the right time.
He said that the JVP was forming a political force comprising civil organisations, think tanks, intellectuals and religious organisations with eye on elections.
“We have already started the work for the election with the launch of Jathika Jana Balavegaya, last Sunday. The new political front will most probably announce the name of our candidate in mid-August. We hope that the UNP and SLPP will field their candidates and so will we.”
JVP Central Committee Member and National Organiser of the Socialist Students’ Union Rangana Devapriya also addressed the press.
(Source: The Island – By Saman Indrajith)
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This move will definitely help the UNF.
The Sri Lankan President is directly elected for a five-year term, through a version of Instant-runoff voting in which electors rank up to three candidates, and limited to only two rounds in total. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, second and third preferences from ballots whose first preference candidate has been eliminated are used to determine the winner.
If the UNP candidate gains the largest number of votes but fails to gain >50%, JVP preferences will assist the UNF in round 2.
Provided there is a Presidential election as Amendment 20has been gazette on july 9th 2018