Draft 20A tabled in Parliament

The government today presented the 20th Amendment to the Constitution to Parliament providing for a change in the provincial council electoral system and conducting elections to the nine provincial councils on a single day.

The legislation presented to the House by Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunatilake has provisions to dissolve a council on a date prior to the actual date on which it term ends and also to extend the dissolution date to pave the way to hold elections on a single day.

"The term of the office of any PC ending prior to the specified date shall be deemed to be extended up to the specified date and such PCs shall stand dissolved on that specified date or the term of office of any PC which continues beyond the specified date shall stand dissolved on that specified date," the legislation stated.

It also provides for Parliament to exercise powers of any PC in the event such a council is dissolved also provides for Parliament to determine the date of elections to provincial councils. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)