Legal dilemma OVER PC Polls | Daily News

Legal dilemma OVER PC Polls

PC Act has to be passed before poll is held :
Yahapalana Govt abolished PC elections system:

Provincial Council elections cannot be held until the Provincial Council Elections Act is passed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament, Education Minister G.L. Peiris said.

He made this statement while speaking a press conference held at the Water’s Edge in Colombo yesterday.

“The Yahapalana Government abolished the Provincial Council elections system. The reason was that they knew that if a PC election was held they would be utterly defeated. As a solution to this they decided not to hold PC elections. Therefore, the existing law was abolished but the abolished law was not replaced by another law,” he added.

“The former President asked the Supreme Court whether a PC election could be held on the provisions available. Even the Supreme Court ruled that a PC election could not be held on the basis of existing provisions, but the Supreme Court ruled that a provincial council election should be held. However, there is no certainty about holding the election as the existing law has been repealed.”

The Attorney General made it clear that there should be a two-thirds majority in Parliament to pass this bill. The Yahapalana Government did not have a two thirds majority. Therefore, a bill should be passed in Parliament before a Provincial Council election is held. Until then, a Provincial Council election cannot be held,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking at the event Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam also said there were not enough provisions to hold a Provincial Council election due to the legal situation in the country.

He further said the issue of cremation or burial of those who died of the COVID-19 virus should not be raised as a political issue.

“This is a joint decision with the health sector, not a political one. The objective of our government is to develop the country and not to criticize the decisions taken by the health sector. Although the Government has the power to make a decision in this regard, the government should act on expert advice,” he said.