PC polls before August 2020

The government would hold much delayed provincial council elections before August 2020 after Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa introduces necessary amendments to the Provincial Councils Election (Amendment) Act no 17 of 2017, Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government State Minister Indika Anuruddha said.

The Government’s position is that the provincial council elections are to be held as early as possible because all nine provinces are without people’s representation and under Governors’ rule right now and some provinces for nearly two years,” Minister Anuruddha told Daily Mirror today.

“Therefore, the government would hold PC polls soon after the general elections are held in May next year,” he added.

Minister Anuruddha said Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa would present the necessary amendments to rectify the shortcomings emanated from the flawed delimitation report paving the way to hold PC polls under the old system.

The issue of the failure to conduct PC polls could have addressed much earlier if former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe submitted the three-member committee report to look into the flawed sections of the Asoka Peiris delimitation report. He is still to submit the report to Parliament, Minister Anuruddha lamented.

Former president Minister Maithripala Sirisena appointed a three-member committee chaired by former Premier Wickremesinghe in 2018.

The best thing to do under the prevailing situation is to bring amendments to the Provincial Councils Election (Amendment) Act in Parliament with the consent of all party leaders and pass them paving the way for early PC polls, Minister Anuruddha noted. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)