Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Monday, 27 November 2017 00:57 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Elections Commission has decided to announce nominations dates, for the conduct of elections for 93 Local Government bodies with no legal obstacles.
The decision has been taken when the members of the Election Commission met this morning to discuss the recent Appeals Court ruling that affect the holding of Local Government elections.
Accordingly, the Commission decided to instruct all Returning Officers in relation to the nomination.
Speaking to media following the meeting at the Election Secretariat, the Chairman of the Commission, Mahinda Deshapriya revealed that call for nominations will be announced on the 27th of this month.
The Court of Appeals on 22 November issued an interim injunction until the 4th December preventing the implementation of the gazette notification which includes the number of members and the demarcations of the Local Government bodies.
The party leaders yesterday met at the parliamentary complex under the leadership of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to discuss the restraining order and the steps that can be taken to hold the local Government elections.
The Election Commission Chief at the yesterday’s meeting proposed to hold the election for the 133 local bodies which had not been affected by the gazette. Accordingly, following discussion this evening, the Commission has decided to issue the gazette to announce nomination dates for 93 local government bodies.
Chairman of the Elections Commission Mahinda Deshapriya said that all legal steps will be taken to ensure the conduct of the election.
Meanwhile, at the party leaders’ meeting yesterday, the Attorney General has agreed to submit a motion on Monday (27) calling for the hearing of the petition before the Court of Appeals against the gazette notification related to holding the LG elections. The motion will request the Court of Appeal to hear the petition on the 30th of this month. Two important proposals have been considered at the party leaders’ meeting on Friday.
First is to expedite court process enabling to hold the election on an early date. The second proposal was to submit a substantive motion to parliament to pass a law to rectify the delay caused by the error in the gazette.
