SLC elections postponed, ExCo reappointed as Interim Committee

By Madushka Balasuriya

Sri Lanka Cricket’s Executive Committee has been reappointed as an Interim Committee by the Sports Ministry after it was deemed that due process had not been followed in the calling of next month’s board elections. As such, SLC elections are now likely to be held either in late June or July, Daily FT understands, with an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) set to take place on 13 May.

In a letter sent to SLC, Acting Sports Minister Faiszer Mustapha pointed out that sports law states an election committee can only be appointed and sanctioned at an EGM with the approval of SLC members. As SLC had appointed the election committee only at an Executive Committee Meeting, the Ministry views it as invalid and had asked SLC to halt the reception of nominations.

In response, SLC confirmed that they are looking to call an EGM at the earliest. As per the SLC constitution, members need to be provided at least 14 days’ notice of an EGM, following which a further 40 days must lapse before an AGM and an election can be held. With the present ExCo’s term ending on 31 May, they have been reappointed as an Interim Committee and will remain in charge until fresh elections are held.

SLC also claims that it had received permission to conduct the election from previous Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, who had resigned from his position on 11 April.

“Since we didn’t have time to appoint an election committee at the last EGM, we sought permission from the previous Sports Minister for the Executive Committee to appoint an election committee,” an SLC official told Daily FT. “I don’t know, however, if the present Minister knew about the permission that we had received from the previous Minister.”