SLPP Gen. Secy: Cabinet approval awaited; PAFFREL says move disastrous

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa, yesterday (24) said that in spite of recent media reports as regards the controversial government decision to put off scheduled Local Government polls, the EC hadn’t been informed so far.

Attorney-at-law Punchihewa said so in response to The Island query whether the EC had suspended ongoing preparations for LG polls scheduled to be conducted before 20 March, 2022.

The EC requires about four months to prepare for LG polls, the Elections Chief said, adding that he recently briefed the Special Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reforms chaired by Chief Government

Whip Dinesh Gunawardena, MP, regarding their preparations for the forthcoming polls.

The EC consists of Nimal G. Punchihewa, S.B. Divaratne, M.M. Mohamad, K.P.P. Pathirana and Ms. P.S.M. Charles.

The EC Chairman acknowledged that he perused statements issued by Provincial Council and Local Government State Minister Roshan Ranasinghe regarding the polls postponement. However, the relevant State Ministry or the cabinet of ministers hadn’t so far informed the EC of its decision.

Last Local Government polls were conducted on Feb 10, 2018. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna bagged the vast majority of 341 Local Government bodies at that election. Local Government polls are held every four years.

SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, MP, yesterday told The Island that the relevant cabinet paper had been submitted to the cabinet of ministers. Once approved, the EC would be informed, Attorney-at-Law Kariyawasam said.

Punchihewa said that the government enjoyed the constitutional power to put off Local Government polls up to one year. Responding to another query, the former member of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission said that the law permitted the government to postpone Local Government elections.

State Minister Ranasinghe is on record as having said that the growing threat posed by new Covid-19 variant omicron compelled the government to postpone scheduled elections.

Polls monitoring body PAFFREL said that whatever the reasons attributed to the polls postponement it was clear political reasons prompted the government decision. Executive Director, PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi said that previous administrations, including yahapalana resorted to postponement of elections. Hettiarachchi strongly advised against putting off elections as the country celebrated 90 years of franchise. Such strategies were nothing but an affront to the voting public, Hettiarachchi said, drawing the attention of the government to the importance of knowing public reaction to its policies. The failure to do so would be catastrophic, Hettiarachchi said, recalling how previous postponement of elections destabilized the country.

Hettiarachchi urged the government to face the scheduled elections or face the consequences.

The prominent civil society activist said that postponement of elections at any level would never give an advantage to the party in power.

Political sources said that the SLPP proposal to put off polls hadn’t been discussed among constituent members of the ruling coalition. Sources said that over two years after the last presidential election in Nov 2019 the coalition was yet to set up a mechanism to discuss policy matters and the ongoing dispute between the SLPP and a section of the constituents further deteriorated the situation.

Former Communist Party General Secretary Dew Gunasekera said that the move to put off Local Government polls should be examined against the backdrop of a spate of contentious issues ranging from fertilizer fiasco to Yugadanavi deal. The ex-minister said that the situation was extremely critical particularly due to the unprecedented crisis in debt servicing. The political environment underwent total transformation over the past 18 months, the veteran politician said, asserting that some might have felt election at any level would be disadvantageous to the ruling party.