NPP meets EC EC agrees to set early date for LG polls: AKD

• According to the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, a new date  should be fixed after 21 days of the postponement of the election

By Ajith Siriwardana 

The Elections Commission agreed to announce an early date for the LG polls at the meeting to be held on March 3, to decide a new date, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday.  

He told reporters that the National People’s Power (NPP) yesterday had a discussion with the Elections Commission on several matters such as announcing an early date for the Local Government election and the issues faced by state employees who are contesting the election and on no-pay leave.  

“According to the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, a new date should be fixed after 21 days of the postponement of the election. We requested the Elections Commission to set an early date as 33 days from the allocated 44-day election campaign has been completed by now. Political parties have spent huge amounts of money on election campaigns,” he said.  
Dissanayake said they brought to the notice of the Elections Commission, the issues faced by state employees who are contesting the LG polls.    “The state employees who are contesting the election are on no-pay leave from January 21 to March 9 and as the election is set to be postponed, they will not get their salaries for an extended period. We requested to permit them to report for duty during the period of postponement. The Elections Commission agreed to look into the matter,” he said.