• EC to announce date for the election by end July

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

In the wake of the gazetting of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, the Elections Commission (EC) has announced that there are no obstacles to declaring the Presidential Election which is due to take place at the end of this month.   

Responding to the uncertainties and myths of a potential postponement of the election, Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, confirmed that the legal and procedural requirements for the election process have been fully met, ensuring that the Presidential Election can proceed as scheduled.   

The bill titled the ‘Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution’ was published in a gazette notification, as ordered by the President yesterday (19) despite Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on Thursday (18) directing Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms to withhold the publication of the Gazette notification.  The Election Commission is slated to announce the date for the Presidential Election by the end of July, which some of the political parties have criticised citing that it provides more room for the government to orchestrate a plan to delay the election.   

However, representatives from the government fraction have emphasised that the election will be held as scheduled.