LG polls postponement indication of govt. plans

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Prof. G.L. Peiris, MP, on Monday (02), said that despite the Election Commission’s assurance that the period for nominations for Local Government polls would be announced this week, his group was suspicious of the EC’s intentions.

Addressing the media, at Nawala, on behalf of SLPP rebel group Nidahas Jathika Sabhawa, the former Foreign Minister said the EC’s assertion that it couldn’t take a contrary view in case Parliament decided to put off scheduled LG polls. Prof. Peiris was commenting on recent media reports that dealt with the EC’s possible reaction.

In spite of a split, with three small breakaway factions going independent of the SLPP parliamentary group, it still commands the majority in Parliament.

Lawmaker Peiris insisted that Parliament couldn’t, under any circumstances, intervene in this matter. Referring to some related Supreme Court decisions, MP Peiris said the scheduled LG polls could be postponed, by a referendum.

Therefore, whatever the strategies contemplated by those who were afraid of the impending LG election, fearing its outcome, it would have to be conducted, Prof. Peiris said, declaring the outcome was not difficult to ascertain.

The former minister said that there hadn’t been a previous instance of a government, here or abroad, seeking to postpone an election, citing economic difficulties.

If the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government was allowed to postpone an election, on such grounds, President Ranil Wickremesinghe would seek to do the same at the next presidential poll.

The SLPP, on July 20, 2022, elected the UNP leader as the President to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term. Alleging that the incumbent administration hadn’t been able to put in place a tangible action plan, essential for economic recovery, Prof. Peiris said that Wickremesinghe would seek to postpone the presidential poll, too, citing the continuing crisis.

The next presidential poll is scheduled for Nov 2024. Without doubt, the public could expect the government to try to avoid parliamentary polls, scheduled for the following year, the ex-minister said.

The rebel SLPP MP asked whether the government was seeking a moratorium on elections as it obviously feared the electorate. The academic questioned the justification for the LG polls postponement, while squandering public funds on State Ministers. The appointment of 39 State Ministers, late last year, was quite a heavy burden for taxpayers, Prof. Peiris said, adding that if the powers that be genuinely was concerned about economic difficulties, a colossal amount of public funds wouldn’t have been allocated for State Ministers.

In terms of the Constitution, 30 Cabinet and 40 non-Cabinet ministers can be appointed.

Prof. Peiris said that the filling of 12 vacancies, remaining in the Cabinet, would make matters worse.

Alleging that the government was on a money printing spree, regardless of the consequences, Prof. Peiris said that the government seemed to have money for all its political projects, except the impending Local Government polls.

Pointing out that the government expenditure for 2023 has been estimated at Rs. 7,600 bn, Prof. Peiris questioned the difficulty in allocating Rs. 10 bn required for the election.

Reiterating his commitment for the overall Opposition plan to pressure the government to conduct the election, Prof. Peiris said that the Supreme Court would hear two cases, on January 18, filed by Opposition political parties. Prof. Peiris and General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) Ranjith Madduma Bandara, MP, filed one petition, while Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella, SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera, TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran, PC, and SLPP MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa moved the SC, separately.

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

The respondents are Nimal G. Punchihewa (Election Commission Chairperson), and its members 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.

Prof. Peiris said that in case the government moved ahead with the planned postponement, the Opposition would launch a protest campaign in Parliament, countrywide protests outside Parliament, further legal measures, and also lobby at international level.

Prof. Peiris vowed they would do everything possible to ensure the public’s right to exercise their franchise.