by Sumadhu Weerawarne
People’s Alliance candidates have been instructed to campaign for the party and not individual preference votes. "We will campaign for the chair and not for preference votes. We will take disciplinary action against anyone who fails to toe the line," SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena said.

The PA will commence its campaign on Friday in Anuradhapura. The President and all candidates will go before the Sri Maha Bodhi to obtain blessings before the commencement of the campaign. "All candidates will also sign a document pledging ethical conduct at election time. The document will set out the ethical stipulations of the PA, that they will democratically and peacefully engage in their campaigns, and act with responsibility towards the country once elected to Parliament," he said.

A rally will follow at 2 p.m., which will be led by the President. The President is expected to address 15 meetings islandwide, and the Prime Minister to address separate meetings. Former Speaker Anura Bandaranaike is expected to speak at some meetings attended by President or the PM, and also hold 20 meetings on his own. He added that satellite facilities would be used to address and talk to people in areas physically inaccessible to the President and the PM due to security reasons. "Our media campaign will be a series of small meetings, at organiser unit level," he said.

The PA present its manifesto at a meeting at Hyde Park on November 8, led by the President.