General Election blocks lG polls further

By Kelum Bandara 

The sudden declaration of the general election has prompted the Election Commission to put off of the conduct of the local authorities’ election further.  

The Supreme Court has ruled that Election Commission should make necessary arrangements to finish it at the earliest possible date according to the poll calendar.  

The election to 340 local authorities- Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas- was to be conducted on March 9, last year.

• We were in the process of conducting the presidential elections when the ruling came. We did not intend to have both the elections simultaneously

However, the then government did not proceed with it citing financial constraints The Supreme Court, in its judgment delivered in August, held that the Fundamental Rights of the petitioners and the citizens of the country have been violated by the authorities including Minister of Finance, the Election Commission and the Attorney General by not holding such elections.   

Asked for a comment on the matter, Election Commission’s Chairman R.M.L.A. Ratnayake said that the court ruling provides for the conduct of elections to the local authorities in manner that is not detrimental to the conduct of national elections.   

“We were in the process of conducting the presidential elections when the ruling came. We did not intend to have both the elections simultaneously. After the presidential election, we were planning to set a date for the local elections. However, the general election was declared. Now, we will conduct it after the parliamentary elections to be conducted on November 14,” he said.   

However, he said the election to Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha will be conducted as scheduled next month.   

Asked whether the election to the local authorities will be conducted immediately after the general election, “We cannot say it will be immediately after. But, we will have it,”