Sri Lanka's elections chief told the country's Supreme Court here Monday that he takes a 1999 swearing in by President Chandrika Kumaratunga as the beginning of her second term in office, officials said.

Dayananda Dissanayake, commissioner of Elections, was responding to a petition filed by the all Buddhist monk party, the JHU or the Heritage Party seeking a court determination on the date for the next presidential election.

Dissanayake said that he is now proceeding in terms of the section 31(3)of the constitution to conduct the next presidential election.

Local analysts say Dissanayake's submission to court would go someway towards clearing the present uncertain situation with regard to the election.

The incumbent President Chandrika Kumaratunga says her term runs until the end of 2006 on the basis that she is entitled for 12 years from 1994, her first appointment to the post of executive president.

The UNP argues that her second term, which began in December 1999 when she called a snap presidential election, ends in December 2005 and the election must be held by the end of this year.

The Supreme Court ruling on the JHU petition which is to be taken up on Aug. 22 would further clear any doubts on the date and Dissanayake's submission is being seen as a certainty that the election may be held this year.

The UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe having declared himself the candidate carried out a campaign to pressurize the authorities to hold the election this year.

Kumaratunga's party named Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse as its candidate.

Source: Xinhua