US Senate Committee urges SL Govt. to hold LG polls without delay

Thursday, 2 March 2023 01:58 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says any effort to take away voice of people is undeniably undemocratic and a direct violation of their rights
No new date for elections has been announced yet

The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee has urged the Sri Lankan Government to hold the local Government polls without any further delays. In a Twitter message yesterday the Committee said any effort to take away the voice of the people of Sri Lanka is undeniably undemocratic and a direct violation of their rights.

Committee Chairman Bob Menendez said he, therefore, urges the Government of Sri Lanka to hold free and fair local elections without further delays.

The new date for elections is set to be announced this month after the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) was forced to postpone the polls that were to go ahead on 9 March as it did not receive the funds requested.

In a motion before the Supreme Court, ECSL told the apex courts that various state officials including the Treasury Secretary, the Government Printer and Police had not extended their support to hold the local Government elections as scheduled. The ECSL also wrote to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena last week and requested him to intervene in securing the necessary funds from the Treasury for the purpose.

However, President Ranil Wickremesinghe made a shocking statement in Parliament last week when he claimed the ECSL had failed to take an official and legal decision on the holding of local Government elections and therefore there was no election to be postponed in the first place as alleged.

“The election has not been postponed. There was no election in the first place for it to be postponed,” he said causing confusion among the populace while drawing the ire of his opponents. He also said there are no funds to hold an election at this juncture.