Sri Lanka polls set for November

The economy and security are likely to be key election issues

Sri Lanka is to hold presidential elections on 17 November, the country's election commission has announced.

The poll will pit current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse against opposition leader and former Prime Minister, Ranil Wickramasinghe.

The future of Sri Lanka's economy and of a peace deal with Tamil Tiger rebels are set to be central to the contest.

The poll was prompted by a court ruling last month that said the current president's term must end this year.

The constitution limits President Chandrika Kumaratunga to only two terms in office.

The Supreme Court rejected Ms Kumaratunga's argument that her current, second term should extend into 2006 because a previous election had been called early.

Her tenure is now set to end on 23 December.

Economy woes

An election commission official said candidates' nominations must be submitted by 7 October.

The current Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapakse, has secured the pre-poll backing of the Sinhala nationalist JVP by agreeing to review a ceasefire with the Tamil Tiger rebels and put an end to privatisation.

But Ms Kumaratunga, who leads Mr Rajapakse's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SFLP), has said she opposes his pact with the JVP.

The JVP has attacked Ms Kumaratunga for agreeing to share tsunami aid with the Tamil rebels and for proposing a federal solution to the rebels' demands for autonomy.

Mr Rajapakse's challenger, Mr Wickramasinghe, has pledged to revive the peace deal with the Tamil rebels and restore investors' faith in the economy.

Although the truce with the rebels is under renewed strain, correspondents say Sri Lanka's electorate is more concerned with the rising cost of living and rampant inflation.