Private Members Bill by TNA MP to repeal 2017 PC Election Act

• TNA MP Sumanthiran’s Bill published in Gazette
• Seeks to repeal PC Election (Amendment) Act No. 17 of 2017 and bring 1988 Act back into force
• The Bill, if passed, could help break PC Election deadlock 

A Private Members Bill by TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran to repeal the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Act No. 17 of 2017 has been published in the Gazette.

The Bill seeks to repeal the 2017 Act and bring into force the provisions of the Provincial Councils Elections Act, No. 2 of 1988.

The Bill comes at a time when, despite the terms of all nine PCs having elapsed, no elections have been held due to the deadlock caused through the introduction of the 2017 Bill, which sought to introduce a new electoral system.

The 2017 law requires that new wards be demarcated by the Delimitation Commission before elections are held but differences over the report prepared by the Delimitation Commission have led to the elections being put on hold.

If the 2017 PC Election Act is repealed, PC Polls can be held under the old system.