The National Election Commission (NEC) reiterated, a sudden Provincial Council election in the coming weeks will not delay the Presidential Election already scheduled to be held later this year.
Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said, they were ready to hold the much delayed PC elections if the legal hurdles confronting the delimitation are cleared by the President or the line Ministry soon. He said the NEC was ready to hold multiple elections, if the need be, to protect the franchise rights of voters.
Media reports indicated the President has instructed the Attorney General to seek an opinion from the Supreme Court as to how the current stalemate in holding the PC election can be resolved.
Asked when the process to hold the Presidential election will take off the ground, Deshapriya said if the polls date falls in November, the Election Notice - (the first official communique in respect of the election) - will have to be issued by the end of September. But if the election is scheduled on December 8, (the last day stipulated by the Presidential Election’s Act to hold the election) the Notice can be issued in late October.
“From the date of election notice, the Commission needs 50 days to complete the preparatory work for the Presidential Election,” he explained. (MF)