Oct 31 (DM) Elections Commission (EC) would be able to announce the winner of the Prez poll 2019 in the morning of Nov 17 and if none of the top two candidates fail to obtain 50%+ votes for an absolute majority, the releasing of the final results would be delayed till the dinner time of the same day, Chairman of the EC, Mahinda Deshapriya said. He added that if the EC was led to count preferential votes to decide the winner, results could be more..

Oct 31 (AFP) SL cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara, the first overseas president of the Marylebone Cricket Club, will captain the MCC against English county champions Essex in Sri Lanka next March, it was announced on Thursday. The 42-year-old batting great — whose 15-year international career encompassed 134 Test appearances and over 400 one day internationals — will lead out his side in the English domestic season's traditional curtain-raiser at Galle Int'l Stadium from 24-27 March. more..

Oct 31 (DM) SLPP and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa today said no agreement including the MCC Pact should be hurriedly signed with a foreign govt, just days before a decisive presidential election. Issuing a statement, Mr. Rajapaksa said the Cabinet has decided to enter into a pact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the US. He said the PM has said that the govt intended signing this agreement before the prez elections. “It is now just over 2 weeks to prez elections. more..

Oct 31 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena had today assured that Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) agreement will not be signed before Nov 16. The President had given this assurance to MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, who had gone to meet him to verify reports that the MCC was to be signed at 3 pm today. “When we informed this to the Prez, he telephoned more..