JVP and Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya not involved

By Shamidra Ferdinando

A new political alliance has emerged with rebel SLPP faction, Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa, teaming up with the main Opposition, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB), Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the SLFP, to seek Supreme Court intervention to compel the Election Commission (EC) to conduct Local Government elections without further delay.

Addressing the media, on behalf of the Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa, at its Nawala Office, rebel SLPP lawmaker, Prof. G.L. Peiris, said that the Opposition filed two cases, requesting that the LG polls be conducted in terms of the Constitution.

The Minister in charge of the Local Government subject could postpone LG polls for a period less than one year and that had been already done, the former External Affairs Minister said.

Except for the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha, the last LG polls were held in Feb. 2018 uring  the  Yahapalana  administration. The election for the Elpitiya PS was held in Oct. 2019.

SJB’s General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and SLPP General Secretary Prof. Peiris filed one petition, whereas Chief Opposition Whip, SLPP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera, TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran, PC, and SLPP MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa moved the SC, separately.

The respondents are  Nimal G. Punchihewa (Chairperson),  S.B. Divaratne, M.M. Mohamed, K.P.P. Pathirana and P.S.M. Charles. In addition to the EC, incumbent Premier Dinesh Gunawardena, too, has been made a respondent as he holds the Local Government portfolio.

Having explained their stand in respect of the inordinate delay on the part of the EC initiating the election process, the EC seeking the advice of the Attorney General regarding the conduct of polls and the appointment of a Delimitation Committee to Demarcate Wards of Local Authorities, Opposition representatives sought the immediate intervention of the SC.

The sixth respondent (Premier Gunawardena) has been accused of appointing the Delimitation Committee to pave the way for indefinite postponement of the scheduled polls. The petitioners asserted that the EC acted in a manner that facilitated ongoing political projects meant to delay scheduled polls.

However, the JVP and the other SLPP rebel group called ‘Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya’ didn’t join yesterday’s move.

Following the briefing, Prof. Peiris told The Island that EC could have gone ahead with its mandate without pursuing an agenda that raised suspicions among those pushing for scheduled elections.

LG polls that had to be held, at least by Feb. 27. to ensure 340 Local authorities would be in place by March 20, 2023, were quite important as President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ruled out early general or presidential election for obvious reasons, lawmaker Peiris asserted.

The academic alleged that the government was bent on postponing elections. In spite of the SLPP still having sufficient numbers in Parliament, the ground situation was quite unfavourable to them against the backdrop of a successful public protest campaign that brought unprecedented political change a few months ago, the National List MP said.

According to the MP, the UNP, with just one National List MP in Parliament, and absence of any real grassroot level setup, would find it extremely difficult at the forthcoming LG polls. The Executive President couldn’t change the ground situation, the former Minister predicted.