Local government elections will be held on May 6, Election Commission Chairman RMAL Rathnayake announced today.
Handing over of nominations for the local council election closed today at 12.00 noon. Time was allocated till 1.30 p.m to raise objections.
The Election Commission began accepting nominations for 336 Local Government institutions on March 17.
Main political parties have handed in their nominations to contest most of the 339 local councils for which local elections are to be held.
165 parties and recognized groups handed over nominations handed over nominations by afternoon today
The Colombo District Secretary, Ginige Prasanna said that Out of the 165 nominations, 148 nominations were accepted for this year's Local Government Election, while the nominations of 10 political parties and 07 independent groups were rejected.
Meanwhile at the Galle District 145 parties handed over nominations and out of them three political parties and 7 indents groups’ nominations were rejected.
Matale Returning Officer Thejani Thilakaratne said that 95 nomination papers were received from recognized political parties and independent groups for 13 local government institutes.
She added that out of the 95 nominations 81 nomination papers were accepted, while 14 nomination papers were rejected.
Returning officer added 18 recognized political parties and 8 independent groups submitted nomination papers. Five independent groups were rejected.
Ms Thilakaratne also added that the nomination paper of Maiya Donadze, a Georgian woman who had contested as an independent candidate for the Galewala Pradeshiya Sabha, was also rejected due to defects.
The United Republican Front led by Patali Champika Ranawaka is contesting for 37 institutions under the ‘pencil’ symbol in this year’s local government elections. The party is contesting the local government elections in 11 districts. Some of them are Colombo, Monaragala, Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala, Batticaloa, Hambantota and Galle district.
Pictures from Colombo district secretariat after handing over nominations Pix by Akila Jayawardena
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament today that the suspect in the rape of a lady doctor at the Anuradhapura teaching hospital has been identified as an army deserter and he will be apprehended shortly.
Police have arrested the suspect connected to the sexual assault on a female doctor at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital today morning in Galnewa.
The Dutch Public Prosecutor suspects two companies of paying bribes in the construction of hospitals in Sri Lanka, according to an investigation by FD, the Dutch financial newspaper.
The Government today tabled in the House the Report of the Commission to Inquiry into the Establishment and Maintenance of Unlawful Places of Detention and Torture Chambers in the Batalanda Housing Scheme.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said today he wholly rejects the Batalanda Commission report and that it was appointed wholly with the intention slinging political mud at him.
Leader of the National People’s Party (NPP) and one time Propaganda Secretary of the JVP Wimal Weerawansa accused the Government of bringing back the “Batalanda Commission” for a media spectacle instead of a genuine concern for those who suffered during the 1988-1990 period.
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