EC tells officials General Election on 25 April

• Deputy, Asst. and Additional Commissioners meet NEC members
• EC Chairman says poll to be held on 25 April
• Some officials want postponement saying inadequate time to prepare for poll

Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday told a group of around 30 Deputy, Assistant and Additional Election Commissioners that Parliament would be dissolved on either 2 or 3 March and the General Election held on 25 April. 

Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya

The meeting was called by the National Election Commission (NEC) to brief them on the arrangements for the election but some of those present requested that the Commission write to President Gotabaya  Rajapaksa requesting that the date of the election be postponed as there was insufficient time to prepare for the poll, Daily FT learns.

However, Commission Chairman has said it was the prerogative of the President to fix the date of the poll and the EC could not interfere in this connection.

The officials had pointed out that some of the payments due to public officials for elections duty for previous elections including the 2018 Local Authorities Election and last year’s Presidential Election were still not paid while some expressed fear that the poll date is too close to the first anniversary of the Easter attacks and with campaigning in full swing, there could be the danger of communal tension cropping up.

There are also concerns that with a large number of new parties seeking registration, there would be inadequate time to consider all the applications if the poll is held on 25