Local Govt. poll postponed; term extended by 1 year

• Elections to LG bodies were due in mid-February  
• Term extended by 1 year, till March 2023

Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon Affairs has extended the term of 275 Local Authorities by one year until 19 March 2023.

The four-year term of the local authorities was to end mid-March 2022.

The Local Authorities Act empowers the subject minister in charge to extend the term of the local bodies for a period of one year, though an election can be held before the end of that period.

Cabinet Spokesperson Ramesh Pathirana said on Monday that even though the term of the local authorities had been extended, a poll to elect new members is likely this year.

The SLPP secured more than 230 of the local authorities in the 2018 election, which was the first major electoral victory for the party.