PC polls must be held within first quarter of 2019 : EC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya

Chairman of the Elections Commission (EC) ,Mahinda Deshapriya urged that the Provincial Council (PC) polls should be held before April 31 next year.

Speaking to Times Online, Mr. Deshapriya said that it would be a violation of human rights if the polls are not held within the said time frame.

He also noted that a time period of 60 days is sufficient to organise the PC polls.

While commenting on the cost that would be incurred to conduct a provincial council election, he said that a sum of Rs 4000 million would have to be spent for this purpose.

In response to a query raised by Times Online on the financial capacity of the government to hold three elections within a short span of time, he said that finance would not be a hindrance to organise an election.

However, he added that the government can take certain cost-cutting measures such as the reduction of expenses for law enforcement such as the removal of posters, less police officers and staff for election duty if the public can abide by the laws of the country.

He further said that the commission has proposed to remove the system of using election ink which would save the government from paying wages to 14,000 officers who are deployed for this purpose during elections.