While there is still no final decision on the election symbol of common candidate Maithripala Sirisena, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya left the country today (28) morning and he will return to Sri Lanka on December 01, sources from the Elections Department said.

Sirisena will contest under the party ‘Apey Jathika Peramuna’ whch had telephone as its symbol However, the party has requested the Elections Commissioner to replace its symbol with pigeon or lotus. The first choice of the party, according to political sources, is ‘pegion’.

 However, the final decision on the matter will only come after the Elections Commissioner’s return to the country on December 01. Commenting on the matter, a spokesman from the Department of Elections said the Commissioner’s brief foreign trip was “unavoidable”.

The common candidate’s first political rally, whohc is scheduled to be held in Polonnaruwa on November 30, will take place without any final decision on the election symbol of Maithripala Sirisena.

Apey Jathika Peramuna (Our National Front) was registered by UNP Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera soon after his breakaway from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Ruwan Ferdinandez, a close ally of Samaraweera, was the first General Secretary of the party.

All political parties and political fronts have to pick out a symbol from a list that is approved by the Elections Commissioner. This has to be done during the registration process of the party. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is the main contender of the common candidate at the presidential election in January, 2015, will contest under the symbol betel leaf – the symbol of the United People’s Freedom Alliance.