No more political parties based on racial & religious grounds: NEC

COLOMBO (News 1st): The National Election Commission (NEC) has drawn its attention to STOP the registration of political parties that are based on different racial and religious ideologies in the future, the Commission's top official said. The National Elections Commission (NEC) is currently holding discussions in this regard, Attorney-at-Law Nimal Punchihewa, the Chairman of the National Elections Commission told News 1st on Thursday (Mar. 18). According to Punchihewa, the focus is also on changing the names of already registered political parties on the basis of race and religion. Such political parties will be allocated a reasonable time period to change the existing party name nominated on the basis of various ethnicities and religions, the NEC Chairman pointed out. The attention was drawn to this matter, taking into account the recommendations of several commission reports including the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the 2019 April 21 Attacks, pertaining to the registration of political parties on national and religious grounds, the Secretary of the National Elections Commission told News 1st.