A presidential election will precede a parliamentary election early next year according to confidantes of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is believed likely to invoke the constitutional provision enabling him to seek re-election four years after he was sworn as president for a six-year term on Nov. 19, 2005.

The president can under the constitution issue a proclamation seeking re-election any time after November 19 this year although he has two more years of his term to serve and present indications are that he will utilize this opportunity to ride the crest of the wave of popularity he currently enjoys.

The holding of the presidential election following the issue of the necessary proclamation is under the Presidential Election Law, a separate statute, which prescribes the timeframes for the various steps such as calling for nominations, receiving nominations and fixing the polling day.

An election can be held by end January – early February next years but it is up to the president to decide when he would want the election held, well informed sources said.

"He can hold it any time he wants to once the four years are up, timing his proclamation accordingly,’’ a legal authority explained.

As parliament was elected on April 2, 2004, the next parliamentary election is due only in April 2010 but the president may dissolve the existing legislature prematurely after it had been sitting for one year.

Well informed political sources said it made sense for the president to dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections if he is comfortably re-elected as his party will be able to take maximum advantage of the president’s popularity.