LG polls in late Jan: EC

By Uditha Jayasinghe  

Pushing ahead with polls, the Election Commission yesterday said it has decided to hold Local Government elections on a day between 20 and 31 January 2018 and expects to call for nominations to polls between 11 and 20 December 2017, hours after Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha signed the new gazette outlining the members for Local Government bodies.  

The Gazette outlining the number of members to all local government bodies was signed by Minister Musthapha, paving the way for the Elections Commission to move forward with polls. 

According to the Gazette, the upcoming polls will be under a system of 60% by area and 40% by proportional representation where each political party is ensured adequate representation in each of the provincial areas of authority. 

A provision for 25% of women representation has been included in the new legislation but the requirement for youth representation has been removed. Field officers such as Samurdhi officials who are serving or have been serving for one year prior to the date of nominations are prevented from contesting, which Musthapha insisted was a proposal submitted by the Elections Commission. 

“The next legal process is for my ministry to gazette the number of members to each of the local government authorities under the power vested by three amendments. Accordingly, the Nuwara Eliya Pradeshiya Saba will be separated into three - Nuwara Eliya, Agarapathana and Kotagala. The Ambegamuwa Pradeshya Saba has also been split into three - Ambagamuwa, Maskeliya and Norwood,” he said. 

The Gazette for these will be inked over the next few weeks, he added. He also noted that the amendment to the Provincial Councils Elections Act 16 of 2017 that was presented to Parliament in English had been found to have errors in the Sinhala version. As the Sri Lankan legal system recognises the Sinhala version, fresh amendments will be presented by the Minister to Parliament to amend the errors of the Sinhala version. 

“This has already been submitted to Cabinet and has been forwarded to the legal draftsman for the Attorney General’s approval. Under the law the Gazette signed today cannot be submitted to Parliament until two weeks have passed. However, the amendment in no way affects the election process and therefore there is no need to postpone elections.”