British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris expressed concerns over delays in Sri Lanka’s Provincial Council elections.
“Many people will be disappointed that the term in office of a sixth of Sri Lanka’s nine Provincial Councils has expired without voting for new representatives taking place or planned,” Dauris tweeted this morning, a day after the terms of Provincial Councils expired.
“Timely elections are key to ensuring that the values of democracy flourish in our countries,” the British High Commissioner also said.
Dauris’s statement also follows a strongly-worded letter from Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya to all main political parties, last week, over delays in holding the Provincial Council elections.
In his letter, Dehsapriya said the prolonged delay would undermine the democratic rights of Sri Lankan citizens.
The senior state official also said in his letter that getting officials to run provincial councils was undemocratic and would draw parallels with a dictatorship.
The Provincial Council elections have been delayed due to strong disagreements among the main political parties over the electoral system.
The Elections Commission is not in a position to take measures to hold the Provincial Council election as work of the Delimitation Review Committee, headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, is currently underway.
Courtesy: Colombo Telegraph
