Elections Commission (EC) Chairman Mahinda Desapriya said yesterday EC officials were likely to meet President Maithripala Sirisena this week to discuss the steps that need be taken to clear the ground for conducting the provincial council elections.

He told Daily Mirror that the President appeared keen to meet EC offials upon his return to the country, however, the President had not got back to Mr. Desapriya even by last evening.

Currently, a legal snag stands in the way of conducting provincial council elections under the new electoral law on the basis that the delimitation report has not been gazetted. Parliament has to repeal the new law with a two-thirds majority and revert to the previous Act if desirous to conduct elections.

Against this backdrop, the President is reported to be seeking a Supreme Court ruling on whether the old law would prevail in the event the new law is put aside.(Kelum Bandara)