The cash deposit of Anura Kumara Dissanayake to contest at the upcoming Presidential election would be made to the Elections Secretariat on October 1, sources said. Dissanayake, the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), will contest under the National People's Power alliance, that would be led by the JVP.

Postal voting for the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha elections will take place today (27) at 269 centers. Deputy Elections Commissioner of Galle District, KU Chandralal said that 1192 applications for postal voting have been accepted. The Deputy Commissioner of Elections said postal voting will not be carried out over two days like in a national election and therefore requested all applicants to somehow exercise their postal vote within today.

Retired Commodore Vishwajith Nandana Diyabalanage, an accused in the Avant Garde illegal floating armoury case, has been arrested upon arrival from Singapore today (Sept 27).

An appeal petition filed by former Minister Basil Rajapaksa challenging an ongoing misappropriation case against him was rejected by the Appeal Court today (Sept 27). Rajapaksa has been accused of misappropriating Rs 29 million worth funds of the Divineguma Department and is facing a trial before High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga.

The UN peacekeeping department has decided to ban the deployment of non-essential Sri Lankan army troops in UN peacekeeping missions citing the appointment of new Army Commander who is alleged to have committed war crimes, a UN spokesperson has told the Foreign Policy News. It said Lt. General Shavendra Silva’s appointment as the chief of the Sri Lankan army elicited criticism from the UN, the United States, and the European Union.

The Government is in talks with the United Nations over the decision taken to suspend the deployment of Sri Lankan troops for UN Peacekeeping operations. Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha is to meet the Under Secretary General of the UN Department of Peace Operations in New York tomorrow to discuss the issue.

The Working Committee of the United National Party (UNP) has approved the nomination of UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa as the Presidential candidate of the UNP. The UNP Working Committee convened at the UNP Headquarters at Sirikotha and declared Premadasa as the Presidential candidate. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe chaired the UNP Working Committee meeting which was also attended by UNP Assistant Leader Ravi Karunanayake.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is to hold a crucial meeting next week. SLFP spokesman Weerakumara Dissanayake said that the SLFP Central Committee will meet on Monday to take a decision on several issues related to the Presidential election. Dissanayake said that more discussions are expected to take place after Monday as well to reach a final decision on the stand it will take at the election.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa today assured that he will protect the troops who fought the war. He claimed that there are attempts to take the troops before an international court and accuse them of committing human rights abuses. However, he said that under an SLPP Government he will not allow that to happen.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna is to sign Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with several political parties next week. SLPP spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said that the SLPP hopes to sign MoUs with 19 political parties on 5th October.

Over 2,000 protestors yesterday demonstrated in Mullaitivu against an alleged attack on two lawyers in relation to the controversy surrounding the cremation of the remains of Mullaitivu Gurukanda Purana Raja Maha Vihara Chief Incumbent, Ven.Colomba Medhalankarakitti Thera. The demonstrators demanded legal action against the performance of last rites of the Chief Incumbent within the temple premises in violation of a court ruling and also action against the physical assault on two lawyers.

There was general agreement among the seniors of the United National Party (UNP) to nominate Minister Sajith Premadasa as the presidential candidate but on certain conditions to be stipulated in writing, Daily Mirror learns. The UNP seniors backing both Party Leader Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mr.Premadasa met on Tuesday (24) to work out some arrangement to agree on candidacy.

Navy Commander Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva yesterday signed President Maithripala Sirisena’s order re-instating former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second son Yoshitha as a lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Navy with effect from 28 February 2016, Navy Spokesman Lieutenant Commander Isuru Sooriyabandara said. Yoshitha was suspended from the navy on February 28, 2016, on the direction of the Defence Ministry following a request by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID)

Lawyers in the North and Eastern province launched a collective boycott campaign for a second day today demanding action against those who violated a court order issued by the Mullaithivu magistrates court over the burial of the Chief incumbent of the Gurukanda temple in Chemmalai, Mullaithivu.

Commission with immediate effect, pending an inquiry into her controversial phone conversation with Avant Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi. The Public Service Commission (PSC) had informed the Attorney General’s Department, over the phone, regarding the decision, the AG’s Coordinating Officer Nisahara Jayaratne said.

Postal voting for the 2019 Presidential election will take place on Oct 30 and 31. The Elections Commission said that postal voting by Police and Elections Department employees would take place on Nov 1. The Presidential election will take place on Nov 16. Local and international elections monitors and observers will be present.

Attorneys serving at Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Valachchenai, Mannar and Ampara have boycotted courts today. They are protesting against the cremation of the remains of the chief incumbent of Gurukanda Ancient Temple, Kolamba Medhalankarakiththi Thera regardless of the court order. They also demand that the Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera should be arrested.

A Government Minister has accused the Bodu Bala Sena led by the Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero of attempting to build a sub-national Sinhala Buddhist state. Minister of National Integration, Official Languages, Social Progress and Hindu Religious Affairs Mano Ganesan said that while the Government is building a Sri Lankan state encompassing Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Islam and Catholic Sri Lankans, the BBS is building a sub-national Sinhala Buddhist state.

UNP headquarters Sirikotha is being prepared for the working committee meeting on Thursday, September 26 to select its presidential candidate. Party sources said Sirikotha would be prepared to hold a vote if the need arises. It was also reported that the four-member committee is to reveal its recommendations on that day to the working committee as per the tradition.

The Elections Commission expects to gather details of deceased and overseas voters to prevent the abuse of votes and to be able to conduct a fair Presidential election set to get underway on November 16. The Chairman of the Election Commission, Mahinda Deshapriya, issued a statement to this effect requesting voters to inform the elections office regarding names of those in the 2018 voters register of those who are deceased or overseas.

Most of the roads including some of the areas of Baseline Road had been flooded and causing heavy traffic due to the heavy rains, Police Emergency Division said.

The Court of Appeal today issued an interim order staying the summon issued by the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court requiring former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to attend before it on September 27. This interim order was issued by Justice Deepali Wijesundera until December 3. Justice Achala Wengapulli recused himself from being a member of the Bench hearing this matter.

Mulaitivu Additional Magistrate N. Sudaharan yesterday issued an interim order staying the cremation ceremony of the Nayaru Gurukanda Rajamaha Vihara Chief Incumbent Ven. Kolamba Medhalankarakitthi Thera at the temple premises. The members of the Dayaka Sabha and the resident monks were asked to attend court this morning.

The body of an Air Force officer has been recovered atop a boulder by officers attached to the China Harbour Police division in Trincomalee. The body had been recovered after the police had been informed by a group of Air Force officers. The deceased officer was identified as a resident of Hokandara. Police having reported findings to court are conducting further investigations into the matter.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, after a discussion with a team of his party seniors, decided last night to call for a meeting of the working committee on Thursday and conduct a secret ballot to select the presidential candidate, Daily Mirror learns.

Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena says that no party can come to power without an alliance or a common front and no party can win the upcoming Presidential Elections without the support of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today rejected allegations made by President Maithripala Sirisena on former Director General of the Bribery Commission Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe. The President had claimed yesterday that the Prime Minister had requested him to appoint Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe as a Supreme Court judge. The Prime Minister however said in a statement today that there was no truth to the claims.

The Magistrate's Court today discharged the eight accused including Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the Avant Garde floating armoury case filed by the Bribery Commission (BC). Allowing the revision application filed against the orders made by the Magistrate's Court and the High Court over the maintainability of the Avant Garde floating armoury case, the Court of Appeal had earlier set aside both the orders and directed the Magistrate's Court to discharge the eight accused including Gotabaya Rajapaksa.