Sri Lanka’s Local Government Election to be postponed?

Sri Lanka’s Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa has informed Party General Secretaries that it will not be possible to distribute postal vote ballot papers from tomorrow (February 15) due to financial issues.

Members of several political parties alleged that this was an indication that the local government elections might be postponed.

“We told him not to go back on his word given to the Supreme Court. He assured the Supreme Court that the local government election will be held as planned and we told him to keep his word,” Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) General Secretary Ranjit Madduma Bandara said.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Sagara Kariyawasam says “We were informed earlier that the postal ballot papers will be distributed but in this discussion today, they said that postal ballot papers cannot be distributed tomorrow.”