Crucial EC meeting today to decide on General Election

Monday, 20 April 2020 01:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Meeting with health authorities, security officials and district election officials this morning
Commissioners to hold decisive meeting this evening
President and PM have both told EC to fix a date for poll
Opp. parties united in call to delay the Election, warning COVID-19 threat remains

As pressure grows on the Election Commission (EC) to announce a date for the General Election, Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya has summoned representatives of the health sector, Police, members of the armed forces, Postal Department, as well as election officials in the districts for a crucial meeting this morning.

The Daily FT learns that the three members of the EC will meet in the evening to decide on announcing a date for the poll after consulting with the officials in the morning.

Both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have said it is the responsibility of the EC to fix a date for the poll while opposition parties have been united in their call for the poll to be delayed, saying the threat from COVID-19 remains. The Prime Minister wrote to the EC on Saturday, saying that the EC has no power to postpone the poll without fixing another date.

“On 2 March, the President dissolved Parliament and fixed 25 April for the poll and 14 May for the first meeting of the new Parliament. Ten days later, when the first COVID-19 patient was found, the President did not have the power to postpone the poll. Under Section 24(3) of the Parliamentary Elections Act No.1 of 1981, when the poll cannot be held on the day fixed by the President, the EC is mandatorily required to fix another day for the poll,” the Prime Minister said.

The EC postponed the General Election fixed for 25 April as the country was grappling with the growing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic .

The EC announced the postponement of the polls on 19 March after the nomination for the 2020 parliamentary polls closed .