Jan 29, Colombo: Sri Lanka's New Democratic Front leader and common opposition presidential candidate at the 2010 presidential election, Sarath Fonseka, is scheduled to meet Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya today to inquire about the ballot papers found recently near a school in the Gampaha District.

According to the police, 430 ballot papers of the last presidential election that had been issued by the Nuwara Eliya election office and marked for the swan symbol of Fonseka's party were found strewn near the Kalagedihena Mahaa Vidyaalaya in Nittambuwa on the 23rd of this month.

The Additional Magistrate of Attanagalle, K.A.D.S.C. Perera yesterday directed the Nittambuwa Police to hold an inquiry to determine how the ballot papers ended up in the area and asked the police to submit a report to court following the probe.

The Magistrate has also turned down a request from the Election Commissioner's office to hand over the ballot papers to the Elections Commissioner. The Magistrate has ruled that the ballot papers be held in the custody of the Courts.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa won the 2010 presidential election with a comfortable majority of over 1.8 million votes. President Rajapaksa received 6,015,934 votes while his opponent Sarath Fonseka received 4,173,185 votes at the election.