COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s National Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court that it is likely that it would not be able to conduct the Local Government Election on the 9th of March 2023 as planned.
The National Election Commission made this notification via a motion on Monday (20).
The NEC on the 18th of January, and 10th of February gave an undertaking that it has taken steps according to the law to conduct the 2023 Local Government Election, and that it will continue to take steps according to the law to conduct the said election.
However, the NEC had noted that after the said undertaking, circumstances have arisen which would prevent the Elections Commission from acting according to the undertaking due to circumstances entirely beyond the control of the Elections Commission.
The motion filed by the NEC noted that the Treasury Secretary had informed he is unable to provide the necessary funds to conduct the said election.
Furthermore, the Government Printer has informed the Elections Commission that she is unable to release the ballot papers for the elections until a sum of Rs. 410.6 Million is paid up front to the Department of Government Printing, noted the motion.
The National Election Commission in its motion had noted that the Inspector General of Police had failed to provide security to the process of printing ballot papers, and added that the IGP has indicated that he requires funds for the conduct of the election which are approximately three-fold of the funds previously provided to Sri Lanka Police during elections.
The National Election Commission noted that the relevant government institutions were informed to provide fuel, vehicles and other facilities for the Local Government Election, however those requests have not been fulfilled thus far.
The National Election Commission in its motion to the Supreme Court filed documents to claim that the Treasury Secretary, Power and Energy Secretary, Government Printer, Inspector General of Police, CEB Chairman, CPC Chairman among others had not provided the facilities required for the upcoming election.
