Further indications that the ruling alliance is preparing for elections emerged as the government allocated a record Rs. 1098 million to the Department of Elections for 2009.
The current year’s allocation was only Rs. 284.5 million.
The move came as President Mahinda Rajapaksa told members of the Central Committee of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to be prepared for elections. However, he did not disclose whether it was Presidential or Parliamentary elections.
Minister A.H.M. Fowzie told The Sunday Times that a discussion on possible elections was held, but no decision was taken.
He said that the matter of appointing breakaway UNP members as UPFA organizers to enable them to contest under the UPFA ticket was also discussed.
Mr. Fowzie said that in the event UNP members were appointed as organizers, the party would ensure that the current SLFP organizers would not be affected.
Parliamentary elections are due only in 2010 and the Presidential election in 2011.
The government is also due to hold elections to the Western, North Western, Central, Southern
and Uva provincial councils early next year.
But election officials told The Sunday Times the allocation of such a vast amount to the department indicated that the government might be preparing for a national-level election. Earlier, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka summoned Assistant Commissioners and advised them to prepare electoral registers early next year in preparation for elections.
The Elections Commissioner also has advised the Assistant Commissioner in Jaffna to prepare to conduct the local elections for the Northern Province. Election officials were also to start educating the public on the necessity to possess a valid identity card to cast their votes. The instructions were given in the wake of a large number of people being turned away at the Sabargamuwa and North Central Provincial elections due to the lack of a valid identity card. | 
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