No LG polls in World Cup venue areas
The Information Department website states that the Government had
decided to avoid conducting elections for the Local Government councils
located in areas where the cricket World Cup is to be played in the
country. Sri Lanka is co-hosting the 2011 cricket World Cup and Colombo,
Hambantota and Kandy are the venues.
The extended term of the Local Government Institutions is expected to
come to an end Thursday. A senior government official said that the
Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils will issue a
special gazette notification in terms of the powers vested in him to
bring the terms of 330 Municipal Councils, Town Councils and Pradeshiya
Sabhas to end enabling to call for fresh elections by the Commissioner
of Elections.
But the Jaffna Municipal Council and Vavuniya Town Council to which
elections were held recently following the end of the three decade old
war will continue to function despite the terms of other councils being
brought to an end.
The Government Ministers have already announced that elections to
Local Government Authorities will be held in March.
The terms of 330 Local councils were extended by the minister in
charge of the subject by a period of one year on April 1, 2009.
Accordingly these councils unless the period is ended before, can go up
to April 2011. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Nishantha
Ranathunga said that that the R Premadsa International Stadium in
Colombo, Suriyawewa in Hambantota and Pallekele in Kandy are the venues
for the scheduled matches to be played in Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, the elections to Local Government institutions located
in Colombo, Kandy and Hambantota areas where World Cup matches are
taking place may he held after the end of their extended period due in
April 2011.
Courtesy: www.news.lk
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