Video: Uva seats based on 2013 census: EC

Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said yesterday the decision, to change the number of members elected from the Districts of Monaragala and Badulla in the Uva Provincial Council, was based on the Provincial Council Act and not on political reasons.

 “No one has told me how I should allocate the seats. It was done by me and the officers in my department without any outside influence. The number of provincial councillors depends on the Constitution, the 1987 Provincial Council Act, the 1988 Provincial Councils Elections Act and the 2004 Provincial Councils Elections Amendment Act,” he said.

Mr. Deshapriya said it was incorrect to say that the number of seats in the Badulla District was reduced and the seats in Monaragala District increased because it was only a division of the 32 seats allocated to the Uva Province.

“I have no power to increase or reduce the number of seats because the power vested in me to do so was annulled through the 2004 Provincial Councils Elections Amendment Act which only allows the President to do so. But in this case I have divided the number of seats in the two districts based on the 2013 census. (Ajith Siriwardana and Sanath Desmond)