Chances of holding PC elections in the near future becomes remote?

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

Holding of provincial council elections in the near future has become remote as the report submitted by the Minister of Public Administration Provincial Councils and Local Government revealed that a parliamentary committee should be appointed to set the background to hold the polls.  

This report was submitted to Parliament by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Chandana Abeyrathna has indicated that holding of provincial council elections in the near future has become remote as the delimitation report has not been presented to President as per the Provincial Councils Elections Amendment ACT No 17 of 2027.  

“Once the report of the National Delimitation Committee on demarcation of provincial council wards submitted to Parliament, the process of demarcation of wards which is essential to hold the polls under mixed system has not been finalised so far due to the failure in passing the said report. As such the relevant report has been forwarded to a committee headed by the Prime Minister as per section 3a(15) based on the review report of the committee. Nevertheless, as the relevant report has not been presented to the President, the numbers and boundaries of the relevant report have not been declared by the President as per section 3a( 15) .Therefore the holding of provincial council elections is not possible under the prevailing law,” the report said.  

“ As per the private members drafts Bill on private members motion submitted by MP Shanakiyan under which the Act is to be amended to hold the election under the proportional representation system. The legal draftsman has explained that the said draft Bill has to be prepared once again according to the guidance of the Supreme Court. Furthermore at the special Parliamentary Committee appointed by Ninth Parliament in 2022 and the Attorney General has indicated that if the committee consent to hold the provincial council election under the proportional representation system appropriate laws should be enacted. The initial ordinance including schedules and formats should be repealed. Considering the observations, the committee has recommended that new laws should be enacted to enable holding the provincial council election under the Proportional representation system,” the report added.  

The report said a special parliamentary committee should be appointed to prepare the background to hold the provincial council election.