COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s National Election Commission has recommended April 25 as the most suitable date for the local government elections that were originally scheduled to be held on March 9.
The commission said in a statement on Tuesday (7) that district secretaries who serve as returning officers have been instructed to announce April 25 as the new election date.
The statement attributed the delay in the local government polls to “unexpected and unavoidable circumstances relating to the printing of ballot papers and other facilities pertaining to the election”.
The election commission had said in a previous announcement that it would not hold the local government polls on March 9 as funds had not been provided
Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers had directed the Treasury Secretary to prioritize funds for a series of essential services. Elections were not on the list.
Opposition parties in Sri Lanka went to court to get an order to hold the elections while one individual sought an order to invalidate the polls.
Opposition legislators have slammed the government for blocking funds, saying it allowed the finance minister to decide whether or not an election can be held and it set a bad precedent.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also finance minister, has defended the move, citing the country’s unprecedented economic situation.
-economynext.com
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