Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake has asked secretaries of political parties and leaders of independent groups, contesting the forthcoming parliamentary elections, to apply before March 12 to the Chairmen of the Rupavahini Corporation and SLBC requesting air time.

In allocating air time, the number of electoral districts being contested and the number of candidates would be taken into consideration. The Commissioner said that a party or a group that contests in one district would be allotted 30 minutes, those contesting 2 to 13 districts with 129 candidates would be given 60 minutes and where the districts are 14 with over 130 candidates, 90 minutes would be allocated.

The time allotted to each party or group may be used on one or more occasions but the use on each occasion should not be less than 15 minutes or more than 30 minutes duration.

All broadcasts should end 72 hours before polling day, which is at midnight on April 4.

All political broadcasts by a party or an independent group should be to promote the election of candidates of that party or independent group and not of any other party or independent group, the Commissioner said.