LG polls postponement:

Dallas alleges about 10% of estimated expenditure of Rs 8 bn wasted  

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Leader of Nidahas Janatha Sabhawa and executive committee member of Samagi Jana Sandhanaya, ex-parliamentarian Dallas Alahapperuma, yesterday (09) said that legal action would be instituted against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe for having a caused a loss of over Rs. 720,000,000 by postponing the local government (LG) polls.

The former Minister said so in the wake of the NPP government’s decision to call for fresh nominations for the LG polls to be held early next year.

Alahapperuma recently urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to cancel the original LG nominations as quite a number of LG polls candidates had successfully contested the recently concluded general election.

The ex-Matara District MP has, in a letter dated Nov. 25, addressed to President Dissanayake, pointed out that out of the 141 NPPers elected to the Parliament 41 are LG polls candidates.

In addition to the elected, the NPP secured 18 National List slots. Alahapperuma has also pointed out that a large number of people will not be able to vote if the LG election is held according to the voters register applicable at that time.

Alahapperuma told The Island that the Wickremesinghe-led government had indefinitely put off LG polls scheduled for March 09, 2023, despite a Supreme Court directive in early March 2023 that elections be conducted.

In late August, the SC ruled that fundamental rights of the people had been violated by President Wickremesinghe, as the Minister of Finance, and members of the Election Commission, by postponing the LG polls. Wickremesinghe remains the leader of the UNP.

Alahapperuma said that they would seek a court directive to the former President to compensate the Treasury. Wickremesinghe having wasted funds amounting to over Rs. 720,000,000 on LG polls, later claimed his administration lacked the wherewithal to conduct the election.

The SLPP won the last LG polls conducted in early February 2018.

According to Alahapperuma, President Wickremesinghe in the last week of January 2023 decided to do away with the scheduled LG polls. That unilateral decision had caused a colossal waste of state funds, the SJB National List aspirant said.

Alleging that Wickremesinghe had sought to justify the LG polls postponement in and outside Parliament, the former Minister pointed out that over 8,000 candidates had deposited about Rs 180 mn with the EC and the political parties had also incurred considerable expenditure.

Alahapperuma bracketed the waste of state funds at a time the national economy had been in a precarious state, along with the Treasury bond scams perpetrated during the UNP-led Yahapalana administration (2015-2019), the sugar tax scam at the onset of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government, and the online visa fraud committed by the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government.

Wickremesinghe and all others who threw their weight behind the LG polls postponement should be held accountable for waste of public funds at a time the country declared bankruptcy, Alahapperuma said.

The country was aware of despicable efforts made by the same lot to put off the presidential polls, Alahapperuma said, referring to court action initiated by various interested parties.

Alahapperuma said that they were eagerly waiting to see how the NPP addressed this issue. “Our actions are strengthened by two SC directives issued in March and August 2023. Wickremesinghe couldn’t have had the political strength to go ahead with the polls postponement without the ruling party’s backing, Alahapperuma said.

UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena repeatedly called for the cancellation of all elections to enable Wickremesinghe to hold the presidency and manage the economy.

The SLPP MPs elected Wickremesinghe as the President in July 2022 to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term won at the 2019 Nov, presidential election.