EC says polls possible for unaffected local bodies

The Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Desapriya told a JVP delegation yesterday he would inform Court on December 4 that there was no impediment in conducting elections to the local bodies unaffected by delimitation.

A petition has been filed in the Court of Appeal against the implementation of the gazette notification citing irregularities in the delimitation process resulting in the Court issuing a stay order till December 4. This raised doubts about the possibility of conducting the elections in January as earlier hoped planned.

Mr. Desapriya told the JVP that though the final calculation had not been made, nearly 64 out of the total 340 appeared to be affected by the delimitation process.

The Commission will meet today to discuss this matter.

The JVP delegation requested the Elections Commissioner to take steps to hold the elections as early as possible.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva, who attended the meeting, confirmed that the Chairman was of the view that the polls could be held in the unaffected local bodies.

He said his party was not in favour of staggered elections and would prevail upon those who moved court against the gazette notification, to withdraw their cases enabling the elections to be conducted to all the local authorities on a single day.

Meanwhile, Mr. Silva yesterday said after the meeting that the attempts made by the SLFP to postpone the elections would come to naught if the elections were held to these 100 bodies.

"It is against democracy to postpone elections. Those connected to the SLFP went to court to postpone the elections because of a division within the SLFP and wanted to more time till their issues were resolved," he said

Mr. Silva said this conspiracy was carried out by the SLFP with the knowledge of Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Mustapha.

He said the JVP would endeavour to get the elections held in all LG bodies on a single day.

"We will get this issue settled on the road, if we fail to get the election held through the Court. We have organised a series of protest campaigns," Mr. Silva said and added that the petition to suspend elections should be withdrawn before December 4 allowing the elections to be held without delay. (Kelum Bandara and Ajith Siriwardana)