Monday, September 19 2005 12:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Presidential elections will be held on November 17, 2005, the country's Election Commission announced today (Sept 19, 2005).

The Presidential vote will be taken on November 17 and nominations will be received on October 7, it said.

The Commission issued the gazette notification declaring that an election will be held to replace President Chandrika Kumaratunga whose second and final six-year term ends on December 23, 2005.

The new President should be in office within two weeks of Kumaratunga leaving office.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has already announced he will contest for the Freedom Party and former premier Ranil Wickremesinghe is the candidate for the main opposition United National Party.