LG polls to be held in first quarter of next year

President Maithripala Sirisena said that Local Government Elections will be held in the first quarter of next year, as soon as the completion of the demarcation of electoral boundaries in local government wards by the Delimitation Commission.

"The present Government will take steps to hold elections in due time", President said, adding that if elections are not held in due time persons who are in power will not get an opportunity  to ascertain the views of the people in the country.

He made these remarks participating at the closing ceremony of a one-day workshop organized for local government representatives at the Foundation Institute in Colombo on Wednesday.

Expressing his views the President further said that the actions of some of the leaders of the Local Government institutions had adversely affected the Government. The central reason for the winning of last Presidential election was the ill behavior of corrupted and undisciplined local government members then, he added.

The approach for a clean national politics starts with the Local Government institutions and the politicians in Local Government institutions should commence their political journey free of frauds and corruption, the President said.

“During the last decades the ministerial portfolios of the Local Government institutions were given to the persons for the sake of giving it, but the present Government given those posts to talented persons who can fulfill their responsibilities”, the  President further said. 

Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Faizer Mustafa, State Minister Piyankara Jayaratne, Governours, Chief Ministers, Chief Secretaries of the Local Governments, Deputy Secretaries, Commissioners and others participated in the event.