News

EC Chief says not informed of LG polls postponement

Published

5 years ago

2021/12/25

Sahan Weerasooriya

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.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

12 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

12 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

12 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.