All  candidates for the Presidential Election were yesterday (8) urged to take part in another  public discussion planned by a group of civil society organisations (CSO) to be held next week, The Daily Morning learns.

Organised by civil society organisations, the discussion is slated to be held on 17 September at the Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) in Borella. According to the organisers, the discussion is intended to provide a platform where the public can directly question Presidential candidates’ policies and plans.

Citizens of the People’s Struggle organisation’s General Secretary Chanaka Bandara told The Daily Morning that in a context where many issues raised through the ‘Aragalaya’ public movement in 2022 are yet to be addressed, Presidential candidates should publicly state their stance with regard to the changes demanded by the people. Noting that the people have a right to know and discuss Presidential candidates’ plans for the country, he said that all individuals who have handed over nominations for the forthcoming Presidential Election are invited for the discussion.

According to the organisation, several leading Presidential candidates and their parties have already been invited for the discussion.

Earlier, two Presidential candidates’ debates or discussions had been organised by two media institutions. However, they did not bear fruit, as only one or two candidates turned up.