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Last Updated : 2024-04-23 18:56:00
7 November 2022 11:45 am - 8 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The interim budget 2022 has allocated Rs.10 billion for the Election Commission (EC) and as such the commission carries out its day to day operations as usual with the target of conducting much delayed Local Government (LG) polls in early 2023, Chairman of the EC, S.g.punchihewa said yesterday.
“With the ample budgetary allocations, we have no financial issue at all to hold LG polls soon after the preliminary works for the election are concluded,” Punchihewa added.
Punchihewa said that chairman and members of the board of Directors of all independent commissions were ceased to be in office with the Speaker putting his signature to the 21st Amendment to the Constitution on October 31st.
“But, independent commissions are mandated to continue normal work on an interim basis as long as the new chairman and directors are appointed by the Constitutional Council according to the Constitution,” Punchihewa told Daily Mirror.
The EC has certified and completed the 2022 electoral register at the end of last month. The EC is attending to the preparation of the supplementary list that carries the names of those who have completed 18 years of age by September 30th right now. The Electoral Register of 2022 will be completed by midnovember enabling the EC to hold LG polls in early 2023,” Punchihewa said.
Whether it is a newly constituted election commission or the existing one, all 340 LG bodies have to be established by March 20th of 2023 after conducting the polls under the provisions of the Local Government Election Ordinance.
Meanwhile, Mahinda Deshapriya, the chairman of the 5 member ‘National Delimitation Committee’ for LG bodies appointed by the Prime Minister on Saturday, and former head of the EC, said activities of his committee will not affect the conducting of the LG polls in any way.
“We have been given time until February 28, next year to submit our report on the demarcation of local government wards with the aim of bringing the number of members of LG bodied to around 4,000 from the current 8,000. We try our best to complete the job within the time frame given or before that. However, works of our committee will not affect the EC.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene appointed a 5-member ‘National Delimitation Committee’ on demarcation of wards of local authorities on Saturday (5), chaired by Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya. (SANDUN A JAYASEKERA)
සැමන් ලාල් Monday, 07 November 2022 01:13 PM
උගේ අප්පොච්චාගෙ පෙට්ටගමෙන් වෙන්න ඇති, අත්යාවශ්ය බෙහෙත් නැති වෙලාවෙ. Get foreigen funds and invigilators form British and Japanese parliaments who established democracy through Donomor Commission and Japan has helped immensely to SL withot debt traps. Go for immediate Presidential and General at once with the support and supervision of these countries.. LG polls රෙද්දටද?
Winning matters Monday, 07 November 2022 01:16 PM
Can't have election when the contests don't even know if they can get a spot with the halving of the previous oversized 8000 members. This Punchihewa is working on borrowed time. Better government replace him as Chairman until Mahinda Deshapriya work is completed! Sri Lanka is politics not work to law like this fool Punchihewa expects. Maybe he thinks this is like Western Democracy run by whites? The same whites who abuse our nations for long time before we got independence! Only innocent school children would expect law to apply, adult in Sri Lanka knows it's never the case.
Voter Monday, 07 November 2022 02:11 PM
The Chairman of the EC Punchihewa and the Chairman of the Delimitation Commission are positive about holding the LG Elections in due time and Funds have also been provided in the next Budget.Hence we don't see any problem in holding the Elections early next year. Only the President and the Pohottuwa can stand on its way to obstruct ?
Waco Monday, 07 November 2022 02:22 PM
First go for Presidential and General Elections. Parliament need to be purified first.
Lives better without local bodies Monday, 07 November 2022 04:28 PM
We have been going on for so long without any of these local bodies. Life has gone on well, in fact it is better without local bodies. Traffic moves; roads are clean; Floods are managed; Only elephants come into villages. Local bodies cannot stop them. City life and rural life going on. If you have ten billion, then use that money for medicine, as hospitals are starving. Use that money to uplift the lives of those deprived. It is better if you shut down Election commissioner's Dept. Open it for six months every 4 or 5 years.
Man Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:18 AM
Thank you, Election Commissioner for your courage. LG elections are overdue along with the entangled Provincial Councils Act. There are so much of demurrages, in imports done in US $ due to poor planning. But, the allocation in SL Rupees. Nevertheless, the opposition parties must take legal action for it, to help the commissioner like a prop.
Jude Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:46 AM
This dumbass talking as if he brought the money from his home,!! Huh!!
“ The Lansi Burgher Gent “ Wednesday, 09 November 2022 10:47 AM
Palath Sabha, Pradeshiya Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Nagara Sabha and the list goes on. Can’t this dingy little country run, without any of these scoundrels who scrounge off the system? Jokers. 9 Provinces - 9 chief ministers with their respective secretaries. That’s 18 in total. The chief minister and his secretary is responsible for his province. Each chief minister can hold ministerial portfolios too, that he is is directly held accountable for. 1 Executive President who oversees their secretaries. 1 Prime Minister who oversees these 9 chief ministers. The President and Prime Minister is entitled to his/her respective general secretary. Each Main city e.g., Colombo, Kandy, Galle, etc etc, gets a local governor who takes care of the administrative affairs and the day to day running of that city. That’s all we need to keep this place up and running. ‘Keep it simple, stupid’ they say.
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