The government is reportedly planning to hold the Presidential Election early next year if it gets a large majority in the forthcoming Uva Provincial Council Elections, local media has reported.

Accordingly, in the event of a healthy majority, the government is likely to announce the next presidential election within this year, so that it could be held the next year.

If the government fails to gain a convincing mandate, it will wait until a more opportune time to hold the next presidential election.

A Presidential Election can be called from November 19 onwards, when 4 years of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term completes.

In any event, the presidential election will precede the next parliamentary election.

Earlier it was reported that the government will hold the presidential election sometime closer to April 2015 since His Holiness Pope Francis is due to arrive in the country in January 2015.