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Opposition asks EC to hold LG polls on 19 March

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threatens legal action against errant officials

All Opposition parties have called on the Election Commission (EC) to hold the local government (LG) polls by 19 March. The SJB, the JVP-led NPP, the TNA, the SLFP, the TPA, the SLMC, the ACMC, and the breakaway fractions of the SLPP, had jointly written to the EC, urging it to hold the LG elections on  19 March, in keeping with its undertaking given to Court, TNA  Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam told The Island.

The Opposition parties have also sought a meeting with the EC members at 9 am tomorrow (07).The TNA and the JVP, on Saturday, warned the government, and public officials, either to respect the Supreme Court order and help conduct the LG polls or to get ready to face legal action for contempt of court.

Addressing the media in Colombo on Saturday, TNA spokesman, Jaffna District MP MA Sumanthiran, said that they hoped the EC would fix a new date for the LG polls to be held before the legally mandated 19 March.

“There is no need for discussions with the Secretary to the Treasury or anyone else on this matter. The Election Commission has said it would meet the Treasury Secretary to fix a date for the elections. We see this as a ploy by the members of the Election Commission

to delay the polls further. We demand that the Election Commission meet immediately. During an elections period, every day is considered a working day for its members. They must meet immediately and fix a date before 20 March to conduct elections,” Sumanthiran said.

Addressing the media at the JVP Headquarters in Pelawatte, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala on Saturday said that the EC was one of the respondents in the case and had to respect the court order. “If it cares for the people’s franchise, it should fix an early date for the elections.  If any public official defies the Supreme Court order, he or she will be charged with contempt of court,” he said.

Watagala said that according to the Supreme Court order, President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Finance Minister and the Cabinet had to release the Rs. 10 billion allocated for the local council polls from the 2023 Budget.

Watagala said the state officials including the Treasury Secretary, the Attorney General and IGP also had to abide by the Supreme Court interim order.The letter addressed to the Elections Commission was signed by MPs Prof GL Peiris, Vijitha Herath, Mano Ganeshan, Rishad Bathuideen, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Rauf Hakim, Rasamanickam and Dayasiri Jayasekera.

The letter titled, ‘Urgent action and request for an urgent meeting’ says: “We write consequent to the order of the Supreme Court made on 3rd March 2023, in SC FR 69/2023 restraining the Minister of Finance, the Secretary to the Treasury and others from withholding necessary funds for the conduct of the Local Government Elections that was scheduled to be held on 9th March 2023. The Court has also made a further order to the Government Printer in respect to the printing of ballot papers.

“You gave an undertaking in SC Writ 6/2023 and SC Writ 7/2023 that you will hold the said elections according to law. You are aware that according to law, the said elections should be held on or before 19th 2023. When the Secretary to the Treasury and the Government Printer did not cooperate with you, you filed a Motion in the aforesaid two cases seeking court’s direction on them.

“Now that the Supreme Court has removed the only impediment to holding the elections according to law, it is your imperative duty to conduct the said elections on or before 19th March 2023. We do not see any reason why you should consult the Secretary to the Treasury or anyone else, now that they are bound to comply with the interim order issued by the Supreme Court as aforesaid.

“We therefore request you to re-fix the date of the Local Government Elections on a date before 20th March 2023 as required by law or the earliest possible date without any further delay. You should not prevaricate on the pretext of consultation with anyone.

In addition to the above we wish to meet with your Commission at 9.00 am on 07th March 2023 at the Elections Secretariat.”



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Landslide RED warnings issued to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara Eliya extended up to 1600 hrs today [07]

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The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued  landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura effective from 16:00 hrs on 06.12.2025 to 16:00 hrs on 07.12.2025.

Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED  warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pathadumbara, Kundasale, Pathahewaheta, Panvila, Medadumbara, Doluwa, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kandy district, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kegalle district, Alawwa, Rideegama, Polgahawela, Mallawapitiya and Mawathagama inthe Kurunegala district, Ukuwela, Naula, Yatawatta, Laggala Pallegama, Pallepola, Matale, Rattota, Ambanganga Korale and Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha, Mathurata, Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district

LEVEL II AMBER warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Badulla, Kandeketiya, Bandarawela, Soranathota, Hali_Ela, Meegahakivula, Ella, Welimada, Haputhale, Lunugala, Haldummulla and Passara in the Badulla district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, Kothmale West, Norwood, Ambagamuwa Korale, Thalawakele, Kothmale East and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Godakawela, Kahawaththa and Kolonna  in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I YELLOW warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of  Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colonbo district, Elpitiya and Yakkalamulla in the Galle district, Mirigama, Divulapitiya and Attanagalla  in the Gampaha district, Ingiriya, Bulathsinhala and Horana in the Kalutara district, Pasgoda and Athuraliya in the Matara district, Bibile and Medagama in the Monaragala district, and Kuruwita, Balangoda, Eheliyagoda, Pelmadulla, Kaltota, Kalawana, Openayake, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Imbulpe, Elapatha, Ratnapura and Kiriella in the Ratnapura district.

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618 dead, 209 missing as at 2000hrs on Saturday [06]

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The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center [DMC] at 2000hrs on Saturday [06] confirms that 607 persons have died due to the recent flooding and landslides while another 209 persons were missing.

The death toll in the Kandy district which one of the most affected districts has risen to 232, and 1800 houses have  been fully damaged.The number of missing persons reported is 81

100,124 persons belonging to 29,874 families were being housed at  990 safety centers established by the government.

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Opposition blames govt. inaction for severity of disaster impact

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The government’s failure to act on expert warnings, including advance forecasts on Cyclone Ditwah, had led to the worsening of disaster impact, Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, said at a press conference in Colombo yesterday.

Gammanpila accused the NPP government of ignoring 14 key preventive measures, despite alerts from the Meteorology Department, foreign experts, and the media.

Gammanpila said the government had failed to lower the water levels in reservoirs, dredge estuaries, and deploy the armed forces for canal maintenance. Local government bodies were reportedly sidelined, and that led to a delay in cleaning of drains. He said the government had also failed to evacuate people in a timely manner from seven districts identified by the National Building Research Organisation as landslide-prone. It had delayed declaring emergencies or curfews and the deployment of tri-forces to evacuate people in such areas.

Gammanpila said an experienced public official should have been appointed as Secretary to the President to mobilise the state machinery swiftly during the disaster. He said the government had not convened the National Disaster Council.

“These failures worsened the disaster, causing immense hardship, disruption, and loss of life and property to the people,” Gammanpila said.

The government has denied the Opposition’s claims.

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