Delaying tactics to infringe voting rights of 16 million voters?: PAFFREL

• Seeking AG’s opinion on the legality of the EC to hold LG polls is not necessary
• The government cannot extend the term of office of LG bodies any further

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said yesterday that the Election Commission (EC) has no moral or legal right to differ Local Government (LG) polls only because it functions on an interim basis and added even President Ranil Wickremesinghe serves as an interim President. 

  Executive Director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi said that seeking Attorney General’s opinion on the legality of the EC to hold LG polls is not necessary as the law clearly says that the EC has the authority to conduct polls during its interim period.   

 
He expressed serious concerns whether the Election Commission (EC) was using delaying tactics citing various ruses to postpone the conduct of Local government (LG) polls succumbing to covert and overt moves of the government.  

The government uses all its surreptitious and furtive tactics to postpone the LG polls frightened about the results. But 16 million voters and the entire opposition led by the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) demand the government not to violate the Constitution and universal suffrage of the people and hold the much delayed LG polls to establish 340 LG bodies by March 19, 2023.

The government cannot extend the term of office of LG bodies any further under the law after extension by one year in January 2022, he noted.

The EC is mandated to continue its work on an interim basis as long as the new chairman and board of directors are appointed by the Constitutional Council (CC) consequent to the passing of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution.