20 September 2022 12:00 am Views - 75
By Sandun A Jayasekera
If President Ranil Wickremesinghe has extra cash, he is free to hold a referendum, but he cannot use it to hoodwink the voter to postpone the Local Government (LG) polls, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) said yesterday.
The senior vice President and the chief whip of the opposition, Lakshman Kiriella said the Election Commission (EC) is empowered to announce dates to hold LG polls at any time from today onwards under the provisions of chapter 262 of the ‘Local Authorities Election Ordinance’.
The LG polls cannot be postponed by the government citing electoral reforms as the law clearly says that LG polls cannot be postponed any further once postponed. This means, the EC is required to announce the dates to hold LG polls at any time after September 20th of 2022 in keeping with the law, he added.
The government extended the term of office of 24 Municipal Councils, 41 Urban Councils and 275 Pradeshiya Sabhas totalling 340 by one year on January 10th after the expiry of term of office of 4 years of these LG bodies.
“The 22 million Sri Lankans, the global community, international aid agencies like the IMF, the World Bank, the ADB and donor countries, the UNHRC and even the US senate want a government that commands the confidence with a clear mandate from the people. The SLPP led Ranil Wickremesinghe regime is a total failure in this respect. That’s why the people of this country want an election to express their protest and refusal to this government. The LG polls are a good opportunity for that,” Mr. Kiriella stressed.
The law outlines that LG polls have to be held every four years and Provincial Council elections every five years. The PC polls have been postponed indefinitely. Therefore, the LG polls give the people an opportunity to express their views on governance.
In India, the Election Commission has fixed dates for all national and state elections. No one can change it and the government is mandated to hold all elections on time, Mr. Kiriella stressed.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the EC, Nimal G. Punchihewa went on record last week saying that the EC would declare the dates for LG polls soon after September 20.
Mr. Punchihewa also has told the Daily Mirror that the EC enjoys the sole authority to conduct elections in the country and not ready to be coerced or forced by the government or any outside source to hold or not to hold elections.