LG polls after party leaders agree on electoral process: PM

The Local Government Elections could be held when the party leaders come to an agreement on the electoral process, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliament yesterday.

He also said based on their agreement the Local Government Election Act would have to be amended thereafter.

Premier Wickremesinghe also said that he

would discuss the proposed election reforms with all party leaders this week and inform their standpoint to the Cabinet of Ministers.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe made these observations in response to a special statement made by Joint Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader Dinesh Gunawardena under Standing Orders 23(2).

“President Maithripala Sirisena also has said that the elections should be held without delay,” Premier Wickremesinghe said.

“We have taken steps for that purpose. We had printed relevant instructions on February 17.Yet there is no clear agreement among party leaders with regard to the demarcation of electoral wards,”the Prime Minister said.

He said that the relevant reforms needed to be included in Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas Act.

He added that the party leaders demanded that there needed an agreement with regard to the election system. He also said that the decision has to be made with the agreement of party leaders.

“The government has taken the actions from its side,” the Premier said. “We have to hold Provincial Councils elections too. I propose that party leaders should meet within this week to finalise this,” the Premier said.

At this stage, MP Gunawardene said that these reforms had been designed with the consent of party leaders and queried as to why another meeting was needed.

“If there is no agreement, I could report that too,” replied Prieme Minister Wickremesinghe.

“We need an answer to the issue as to why instructions to the Elections Commission’s chairman is not given” asked Gunawardena. “There is no answer to that question. Party leaders cannot decide what to do. The process should be governed by the existing laws,” the Prime Minister said.

“There are 50 or some reforms and amendments. If we go forward without attending to them later, we would have to face a difficult situation and then the elections would be delayed even longer,” the Premier said.

“The party leaders could express their position with regard to the matter. We have not yet made a final decision. We cannot go ahead without amending the election laws. Once the party leaders’ standpoint is announced I will convey it to the Cabinet,” the Prime Minister added.