Provincial council elections cannot be held under previous system : Supreme Court

COLOMBO (News 1st) - A five-member bench of the Supreme Court has determined unanimously that Provincial Council elections cannot be held under the previous system, in the absence of the report of the Delimitations Review Committee. The Supreme Court provided this determination in line with a query posed by President Maithripala Sirisena. The Secretary to the President announced this evening that the court had determined that the President is not empowered to declare electoral boundaries as per the delimitation report currently before the subject minister, in the absence of the report of the delimitations review committee. Whilst a delimitation report was prepared in line with the Act adopted by parliament in September 2017, as a result of several problems that arose, a review committee was appointed, chaired by the Prime Minister. However, as the review committee is yet to fulfil the task entrusted to them, the President had inquired from the Supreme Court, if he was empowered to declare the electoral boundaries in line with the existing delimitation report. The President had also sought a determination on whether the provincial council elections could be held under the electoral system which prevailed prior to September 2017. Meanwhile, a letter to Political Party Secretaries by the National Elections Commission revealed the Presidential Election will be held between the 10th of November and 08th of December. The letter dated the 09th of August by the National Elections Commission only reached certain political party secretaries this morning. The letter notes, if the parties are interested in contesting the Presidential Election which will take place between the 10th of November and 08th of December, they need to inform the National Elections Commission. The letter also contains information on Election Monitoring during the Presidential Poll. In addition, Examinations Commissioner General Sanath Pujitha informed the National Elections Commission the G.C.E Ordinary Level Examinations are scheduled to take place between the 02nd and 12th of December. Based on the prevailing situation, the Presidential Election would most likely take place between November 9th and December 2nd.

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