Four elected candidates denied from assuming duties

26 September 2013 09:07 am

Four elected candidates of the recently concluded Provincial Council election will not be allowed to assume duties in their respective Councils or have their names appear in the gazette, on account of their failure to submit financial declarations, according to regulations stipulated by the Elections Commissioner.

“The Commissioner wouldn’t reveal their names, but it has been conveyed that these candidates’ names will not be gazetted, and they will not be able to take oaths and assume duties. He firmly said, if they do not eventually submit such documents, they will be taken to court” Transparency International Sri Lanka’s (TISL) Senior Manager  ShanWijetunga said.

Despite exceeding the initial deadline of August 30th to submit such documents, candidates having been provided subsequent extensions are now given the final grace period of three months after the election, to intimate these declarations or face consequences of legal action, on the initiative of the Elections Commissioner.(Jehan Gunasekara)