EC to request Speaker to intervene in securing funds from Treasury

Friday, 24 February 2023 23:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says cannot hold LG polls as scheduled on 9 March due to external factors it has no control over
To submit report to Speaker; steps taken constitutionally to hold election
New poll date to be announced on 3 March

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) yesterday confirmed that the local Government polls scheduled to be held on 9 March will not go ahead on the day. Instead, a new date will be announced on 3 March.

Issuing a statement following deliberations among officials, the Commission said the election cannot go ahead on 9 March due to external reasons it has no control over.

The ECSL also said a report will soon be submitted to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene on the steps taken by it to hold the election according to the constitution and request him to intervene in securing the necessary funds from the Treasury for the purpose. The Election Commission last week decided to postpone the postal voting of the local Government elections indefinitely and informed the Supreme Court by way of motion about the lack of support it has received from State officials to conduct the election.

However, a confusing situation has now arisen among the populace after President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament this week that the ECLS has failed to take an official and legal decision on the holding of local Government elections. Participating in the Parliamentary debate on the postponement of local Government polls on Thursday Wickremesinghe said: “The election has not been postponed. There was no election in the first place for it to be postponed.” The President said no fixed date for elections has been set yet as per his knowledge and therefore there is no legal decision to hold polls.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also postponed the hearing of a petition on the holding of local Government polls.

Accordingly, the petition will be taken up again on 11 March, two days after the date previously announced by the ECSL for local Government elections. The petition was filed by retired Army Colonel W.M.R. Wijesundera in January on the basis that he was informed by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (EC) that the election can only be funded through Government revenue or by obtaining a loan for the purpose. The petitioner is seeking an order from the Supreme Court declaring that polls be postponed.

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