evidence: Political parties are scurrying to find suitable candidates to contest in the 14 November parliamentary elections. The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) is keen to obtain a majority in the new Parliament even though their Presidential nominee and now President Anura Kumara Dissanayake obtained around 43% of the total votes in last month’s election. [...] Attempts to bring about an agreement between the SJB and the UNP-SLPP (breakaway group) before nominations for the general elections are finalised failed and hence Premadasa will be contesting with the SJB’s constituent partners including several parties that represent minorities. [...] The UNP-SLPP group have announced they will contest from the gas cylinder symbol under which the former president Ranil Wickremesinghe contested last month’s election while the SLPP (Namal Rajapaksa group) and the Mawbima Janatha Party (MJP) of businessman Dilith Jayaweera too have been strengthening his side with several former MPs joining the group. In the north and east, the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) will be fighting to retain its role as the dominant force in these areas while several smaller parties too will vie for the seats there.