Sri Lankan Parliament Paves Way for Long-Delayed Local Elections

Sri Lanka's Parliament unanimously approved a legal amendment to facilitate local council elections, stalled due to financial constraints during the nation's economic crisis. The Supreme Court had earlier mandated the elections, accusing the former president of obstructing them. The government aims to conduct the election by April.

Sri Lanka's Parliament took a significant step on Monday by unanimously approving a legal amendment to enable the holding of long-postponed local council elections. The Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill received overwhelming support, with 187 members voting in favor and none against, following a debate that extended for over four hours.

In a previous ruling, the Supreme Court determined that a two-thirds parliamentary majority was necessary to pass the bill. The elections were delayed twice in 2023 amid a dire economic crisis, as the former government invoked financial shortages to justify the postponement. The Opposition, however, challenged this decision, alleging that then-president Ranil Wickremesinghe withheld funds due to concerns about potential electoral losses.

The Supreme Court supported the Opposition's petition, ruling that the election should proceed swiftly and finding that Wickremesinghe had violated fundamental voter rights. The newly approved bill enables the annulment of 2023 nominations and empowers the Elections Commission to seek new ones. Government sources anticipate conducting the elections by April, despite Opposition calls for a delay until the completion of budget debates.

(With inputs from agencies.)