President defends decision to postpone LG polls

President Ranil Wickremesinghe today defended the decision to postpone the Local Government elections saying he had no regrets about the decision.

“I have no regrets about postponing the election. The presidential election and the general elections are the people's rights and I have respected their rights. Similarly I have also respected the people's right to life, “ he said. 

His comments came hours after the Supreme Court ruled that the President, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, along with the members of the Election Commission had  violated voters’ fundamental rights by delaying the election which was scheduled for 2023.

Addressing the convention of the Nawa Janatha Peramuna , the President explained the reason for postponing the polls.

“There were queues everywhere. When the gas queue finished, the petrol queue began. When that finished the medicine queue began. There were queues everywhere. What would have happened if I forgot all this and held the LG and Provincial Council elections. That’s all I ask. You decide ,” he said.

He questioned if the economy would have recovered if the LG and the PC polls .

“Which other country recovered from such an economic crisis like we did. Today the whole world is praising us,” he said.