COLOMBO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Election Commission on Thursday accepted the nominations of 39 presidential candidates to run for the presidential election scheduled on Sept. 21.
Chairman of the Election Commission R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said this includes 22 candidates from recognized political parties and 17 independent candidates.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is also contesting the election as an independent candidate.
Rathnayake said there are over 17 million eligible voters, and in the 2020 presidential election, 83 percent of eligible voters cast their ballot on election day.
This will be the first election Sri Lanka holds following the 2022 economic crisis. ■
