PAFFREL urges Govt to hold LG polls that are not impacted by delimitation issue

The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) today request ed the government to conduct the elections in local government institutions where there are no concerns of delimitation. 

In a written letter to the Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils Faiszer Musthapha, the election watch dog said it is not healthy for a democratic system to conduct elections in a fragmented manner, it is more detrimental to postpone elections for long periods of time or indefinitely.

“As the local government elections were not conducted regularly, for over a year, most of these councils are being currently administered by government officials and not by the people’s representatives. Elections have not been conducted for more than 02 years in local government councils in districts such as Jaffna, Vavuniya and Batticaloa. In certain councils, some the government officials are doing their best to administer these bodies in a professional, effective and efficient manner,” the letter said.

However, in most locations, there is a severe breakdown in administration that has caused a negative impact on the functions of the councils as well as the fulfilment of public needs and wants. Not only is this a grave burden on the public, but also it imposes an undesirable impact on the democratic process of our governing system.