11 January 2023 08:59 am Views - 190
By Ajith Siriwardana
The Elections Commission yesterday directed all District Returning Officers to accept deposits placed by political parties and independent groups for the Local Government election, despite directions of the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government to District Secretaries not to do so.
Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government has informed all District Secretaries to refrain from accepting candidate deposits for the Local Government Election 2023 until further notice, as per the orders by the Cabinet.
Ministry Secretary Neel Bandara Hapuhinna earlier in the day informed all District Secretaries to refrain from accepting deposits for the Local Government Election 2023 until further notice. However, later in the day, he recalled the said letter.
Meanwhile, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake in a letter to all District Secretaries said that it was their responsibility to accept deposits placed by political parties and independent groups as the District returning officers have been appointed as returning officers in respective districts through an extraordinary gazette notification issued in terms of the powers vested on the elections commission through the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance. The Commission also said that it was the responsibility of the returning officers to accept nominations from January 18 until noon January 21.
JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake making a special statement said it was a direct violation of the Constitution by the President to direct District Secretaries not to accept nominations.
He said the President is trying to postpone the election by showing that there is a rift between the elections commission and the President.
“A Cabinet decision has been taken to seek Attorney General’s opinion saying that there is a rift within the elections commission and to accept deposits after that. It is an influence to the elections commission exceeding the powers of the Cabinet,” he said and appreciated the bold decision of the EC to accept deposits despite the Cabinet decision.
Dissanayake said the National People’s Power would place deposits for certain districts today as planned.