Backing independent groups won’t help political parties: EC

26 January 2018 10:01 am

Though some political parties which got their nomination lists rejected backed Independent groups, members of the elected Independent group could not be replaced by members of any other political party, the Election Commission (EC) said yesterday.

The commission made this statement in the wake of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) which got its nomination list rejected for Maharagama Urban Council announcing that it backed an independent group for the UC.

Additional Elections Commissioner, Saman Sri Ratnayake explained that no candidate could resign from contesting until the election is held.

“If a candidate resigned after being elected to a Local Government (LG) body, he or she would only be replaced by the next in line of the respective party as published in the party’s nomination list. No member from other political parties would be appointed to the vacant post,” he told the Daily Mirror. (Darshana Sanjewa)