Prof. Hoole dismisses speculation on election date

COLOMBO (News1st): A member of Sri Lanka's election body has dismissed media reports speculating that the general election could be held on May 28. A newspaper report on Friday said a final decision is to be made following a discussion with the country's army chief, police chief and the director-general of health services, on April 20. "Anything these three say on the Monday 20 April must be weighed carefully," Professor Ratnajeevan Hole, a national election commission (NEC) members said in a letter published online. Prof. Hoole struck an annoying note, extensively questioning the grounds on which the panelists had been chosen, adding that he had either been misinformed or the facts mentioned in the article were a case of misreporting. The NEC member, however, conceded that the election date has been suggested by government sources. "I state there was no meeting to take these momentous decisions choosing these consultants and what will they be consulted on, without my presence," Prof. Hoole said. On Saturday, polls monitor and former governor Keerthi Tennakoon took to Facebook and posted 'May 28!' - indicating the date on which the election could be held. However, polls chief Mahinda Deshapriya, known for his humour, responded saying "there are 31 days in May". In what seemed to be an exchange of words between the government and the NEC, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, early Friday, hit out at the polls body urging it to announce the date of the election. Previously, the President's Office too shot down a request made by NEC to seek a supreme court determination on the date, as the delayed election could push the country into a constitutional impasse.