CaFFE tells Government to dissolve all provincial councils

Monday, 18 September 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), an election monitoring organisation in Sri Lanka, has requested the President and the Prime Minister to dissolve all provincial councils before 2 October and immediately hold discussions with the chief ministers and governors of provincial councils to reach an agreement.

In a statement, the election monitor says the Government should not get discouraged by the opposition to the 20th Amendment and requests the Government to not abandon the commendable effort it took to hold all Provincial Council elections on the same day.

“If the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, presented to postpone the elections for the Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils without a referendum, cannot get passed, the President and the Prime Minister without getting discouraged should look at alternative options for holding all provincial council elections on the same day,” CaFFE said.

The election monitor points out that additional expenses and unnecessary time spent on conducting several elections and the misuse of public property could be avoided by conducting all the elections on the same day.

However, CaFFE says, as it has repeatedly emphasised, it can be done only by dissolving all the provincial councils on the same day, 2 October 2017, with the concurrence of chief ministers and governors.

Not only will it result in fair electoral system that everyone can agree, but will also give the opportunity for a transparent process, CaFFE emphasised.

CaFFE Executive Director Keerthi Tennakoon said that the next election could be held in 2022 under a mixed electoral system as promised by the good governance election campaign if all provincial councils were dissolved on 2 October.