Deshapriya urges Speaker to ensure PC elections held promptly

• Speaker informs Deshapriya of Parliamentary debate on PC elections in July
• Says issues maybe raised during debate that Elections Commission could address

By Skandha Gunasekara

The Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday met with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to urge the latter to ensure Provincial Council elections are held in a timely manner.

Deshapriya, along with several officials of the Elections Commission, met with Speaker Jayasuriya and the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Faiszer Mustapha at the Parliamentary complex last morning. 

The Delimitation Committee Chairman K. Thavalingam was present at the meeting as well.

Deshapriya had also inquired of the Speaker whether elections should be held according to the former preferential voting system or the newly adopted electoral system, which is a mix of the first-past-the-post and the preferential voting methods.

According to the Speaker’s media division, the Speaker had informed Deshapriya that a Parliamentary debate on the Provincial Council election would be held on 5 July.

The Speaker had called on the Elections Commission Chairman and Delimitation Committee Chairman to address issues raised at the debate pertaining to the Provincial Council election and the new electoral system.

In addition, the Speaker informed the gathering that a discussion among the Party Leaders with the leadership of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would be held to deliberate the Provincial Council elections.