Colombo
Elections to Sri Lanka’s nine provincial councils are unlikely to be held soon, an Election Commission official said on Sunday, as Parliament has yet to adopt the 2018 delimitation report.
Election Commission Director General Saman Sri Ratnayake told reporters that polls can only take place once Parliament approves the report, which outlines constituency boundaries under a 2017 law introducing a mixed electoral system combining proportional representation and first-past-the-post voting. “The Election Commission will move to hold the polls once the Parliament makes the necessary changes,” he added, noting that budget allocations for the exercise have already been reserved.
Since 1988, provincial elections have been held under proportional representation. Some political parties are now pressing for a return to the old system without waiting for delimitation.
Last week at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, India reiterated calls for the early conduct of provincial polls. “India has consistently called for the full and effective implementation of the Sri Lankan constitution, early conduct of provincial council elections and meaningful devolution of power,” said Indian official Anupama Singh.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath stressed that elections will be conducted by the independent Election Commission once the delimitation process concludes. A draft UNHRC resolution, set for adoption later this month, also urges the early holding of provincial elections as a sign of the government’s commitment to devolution of political power.
