Elections Commission conspiring to postpone LG polls: AKD

• Says local Government Bodies should be established before March 20
• The President should inform the House if the LG polls would be held on time just as he responds to all the other matters

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

The Elections Commission including its chairman Nimal Punchihewa was conspiring to postpone the Local Government elections, National People’s Power (NPP) MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday.

 He told Parliament that the Local Government Bodies should be established before March 20 and that the nominations should be called by the end of December or the beginning of January next year.

The MP said the Elections Commission had sought the advice of the Attorney General and said the EC is not bound to seek the advice of the AG. “The EC has the required laws to announce Local Government elections at any time. They should not seek the advice of the AG,” he said.

He said the EC is not an independent body and added that its Chairman had separate political ideologies. The MP said the President should inform the House if the LG polls would be held on time just as he responds to all the other matters.