Apart from Solicitor General Suhada Gamlath and Additional Solicitor General Dayantha Jayasuriya, two other candidates have also joined the race for the Attorney General's position, which will be vacant from January 09. 

They are President's Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty and Kapila Waidyaratne, highly placed sources from the Justice Ministry said on Saturday. 

Current Attorney General Yuwanjan Wanasundara is expected to retire from service on January 09 as he has not sought a service extension. 

However, sources close to Ladduwahetty told Asian Mirror that the senior lawyer did not wish to accept the post for personal reasons, although his name had been proposed by some. Therefore, they said, Ladduwahetty would opt out of the battle. 

According to the standard procedure, the Justice Minister has to recommend a name to the President to be appointed as the Attorney General. The President, after considering the Justice Minister's recommendation, will make a final decision on the matter. 

Although Gamlath remains the front-runner for the position, the biggest obstacle standing in his way is his involvement in the Avant Garde investigation, which earned a bad reputation for the AG's Department. Gamlath was the official who handled the matter on behalf of the department. 

Gamlath is also known be a close friend of Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.