EC Chairman requests Speaker to legislate media guidelines

The Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya has requested Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to support in legislating media guidelines in parliament so as to ensure free and fair elections.

He made this request during a meeting with the Speaker today.

The Chairman said that the proposals with regards to the aforesaid would be submitted in parliament in the near future.

He also requested the Speaker’s support to adopt resolutions in parliament to conduct the delaying provincial council elections as soon as possible.

He emphasised that amendments should be introduced to the Local Government Elections Act in rectifying the shortcoming observed at the local government elections held in 2018.

The above matters were discussed at the meeting held in Parliament with the Election Commission and the Speaker of Parliament yesterday (25) whilst briefing the Speaker on the conduct of the presidential election.

Members of the Commission Nalin Jayantha Abeysekera and Prof Ratnajeevan Hoole, Secretary of the Commission T.D Herath, the Election Commissioner-General Saman Sri Ratnayake were present at the discussion.

Secretary-General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake and Deputy Secretary-General and Chief of Staff Neil Iddawala were also present.

The Speaker stated that the parliament will extend its support to develop media guidelines as a law to ensure that the future elections are conducted free and fair.

The Speaker commended the Elections Commission for holding the last presidential election independently and fairly.

Meanwhile, the Chairman stated that in the instance where President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa dissolves the parliament after the 1st of March, parliamentary elections could be held in late April or early May 2020.