The Socialist Alliance (SA) has slammed the NPP over further delaying the Provincial Council polls.

The following is the text of the statement issued by Communist Party General Secretary, Dr. G.Weerasinghe, on behalf of the SA: “Provincial Council elections have been overdue since 2018, so that government-appointed officials run all nine provincial councils which means the absence of the public accountability, ensured through elected administrations. The prolonged delay has weakened democratic norms and transparency in governance, increased bureaucratic inefficiency, and contributed to social unrest, especially in regions dependent on Provincial Council-led services.

The National People’s Power (NPP) government continues to delay the long-overdue Provincial Council elections, citing incomplete boundary delimitation as the reason. This justification has been used by successive administrations since 2017 to postpone the polls.

The current government, which previously opposed such delays, is now employing the same tactic, raising doubts about its commitment to democratic processes. Legally, the government has viable options to resolve the impasse, such as forming a new committee to finalise boundaries or passing legislation with a simple parliamentary majority to use the old electoral system. Its failure to pursue these avenues suggests a lack of political will to hold the elections.

The Socialist Alliance (which comprised Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, Democratic Left Front and Communist Party of Sri Lanka) has always supported the devolution of power through the Provincial Councils. It calls upon the NPP Government to take action immediately to hold the elections, providing the public with a roadmap laying out target dates, including a date for holding the elections.

Further, the Socialist Alliance requested all political parties to come together in demanding the elections for Provincial Councils without any further delays.”