Connect with us

News

CPA files FR petition against failure of state institutions to hold local government polls

Published

on

By PRIYAN DE SILVA

The Centre of Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director Dr Paikiyasothy Saravanamuththu filed a fundamental rights application on Monday (28), challenging the failure and/or refusal of several institutions the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, the Department of Government Printing, the Police Department and the Treasury to take the necessary steps to hold the local government elections.

The Petitioners have emphasised that the exercise of franchise as required in terms of the law is essential for a country to preserve democracy and the conduct of elections must be treated as essential for Sri Lanka to be and remain a democratic republic.

The petitioners have said their rights under Articles 10, 12(1) and 14(1)(a) of the Constitution have been violated and/or continue to be violated by attempts to sabotage and stall the holding of the local government polls.



Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

PNS Shahjahan departs after successful naval exercise

Published

on

By

The Pakistan Naval Ship (PNS) Shahjahan which arrived in Colombo on 02nd June 2023 on a two-day official visit, departed the island on 04th June 2023.

 

Continue Reading

News

EC opposes govt. move to appoint its henchmen to monitor local councils

Published

on

By Priyan de Silva

The Election Commission (ECSL) has opposed a move by the government to appoint representatives of the Chairpersons of the Regional Development Committee to monitor local government institutions.

ECSL Chairman Nimal G. Punchihewa told The Island that the government had informed the ECSL of its plan to appoint representatives of the Chairpersons of the Regional Development Committee to monitor the local government bodies and the ECSL had decided to write to the Ministry of Local Government opposing the move, he said. A Chairman of a regional development committee ESD a representative of a particular political party and it would be unfair by other parties for such appointments to be made, the EC Chairman said.

Punchihewa said that the administration of local government institutions could be done through Municipal Commissioners and Divisional Secretaries.Many political parties had complained against the government move, he said.

Continue Reading

News

JVP says govt. has enough funds for elections

Published

on

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP would file a fresh application before the Supreme Court against the government for not holding the local council polls, JVP MP Vijitha Herath said yesterday.Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, Herath said that his party had ascertained fresh information by invoking the Right to Information Act about the funds needed for the holding of the elections and his party would file another fundamental rights case against those responsible for conducting elections.

“The LG polls were to be held on 09 March. They were postponed until 25 April, and later they were put off indefinitely. The President appoints Governors to the provinces and the local councils are under them. Now, he says no party commands the support of 50 percent of voters.

Is this reason why he is not holding elections? His claim that there are no funds for elections is not acceptable. The Election Commission (EC) has, in a letter to the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, asked for Rs 1,100 million in installments for conducting local government elections. The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, on 07 March, informed

the EC that the latter’s request had been referred to the Minister of Finance on the same day. But so far the money has not been released. As per a report released by the Treasury, the government revenue was Rs 177,900 million in January this year alone. Of that amount, Rs 156,760 was allocated to government institutions. The Treasury has Rs 21,410 million. In February, the government revenue was at Rs. 271,750 million and of that Rs. 208,620 million was spent. The balance was Rs 63,130 million. In January and February, the Treasury had Rs 84,270 million. These figures have been officially confirmed by a Deputy Treasury Secretary. The EC is seeking only Rs 2,460 million for elections. So, the claim that there is no money for elections is false as per official records. We will submit this information to the Supreme Court when we file a fresh application. We will prove that the government has lied to people,” Herath said.

Continue Reading

Trending