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Procedural issues may delay local council elections
View(s):Procedural issues are likely to delay the conduct of local council elections scheduled for March next year.
Firstly, an official committee now reviewing appeals will need at least two more months to complete its report. The report is likely to be ready in February next year, according to Provincial Councils and Local Government Deputy Minister Karunaratne Paranavithana.
He said yesterday that in addition to this, Parliament would also have to approve amendments to the Local Government Act to accommodate 25 per cent representation by women. Mr. Paranavithana said the Elections Department would require 75 days thereafter to call for nominations and conduct the electiona. However, Deputy Elections Commissioner M.M. Mohamed said they would need at least three more months after the report was issued and legislative changes were made. That is expected to be after May.
However Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha said local council elections would be held as scheduled in March, next year. The Department of Elections is now assisting the five-member official committee headed by Ashoka Peiris, a former Lands Commissioner. The committee is reviewing appeals on the carving out of local council wards following the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission. According to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, appeals will be accepted by the committee until November 21. He said political parties, civil society organisations and individuals could submit their appeals. The relevant Gazette notifications on the Delimitation Commission, maps and documentation have been made available at the offices of District Secretaries.
A ministerial sub-committee headed by Kabir Hashim has also been appointed to probe allegations that the demarcation of some wards had been carried out in such a way as to help parties of the previous government.