Sri Lanka will once again go to the polls on March 30, this time to elect representatives to 330 local government bodies. But there is already controversy as the two major parties each suffered an automatic shock defeat in electorates considered strongholds after their nominations were rejected.
A total of 4,255 members are to be elected to 330 local bodies including 18 Municipal Councils, 42 Urban Councils and 270 Pradeshiya Sabhas. More than 10,000 candidates will vie for seats at these Councils.
The main parliamentary opposition, the United National Party (UNP), had its nomination list for the Colombo Municipal Council, which the party has held since 1977, rejected.
Similarly, the governing United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had its list for the Gampaha Pradeshiya Sabha – the constituency from which the former President and current Sri Lanka Freedom Party leader Chandrika Kumaratunga hails – rejected.
In both cases the lists were rejected because one of the candidates on their respective lists was not over 18 years of age on 1 June, 2004, as the rules stipulate, local press reports said. Both parties said they would challenge the rejection order in Court.
Interestingly, while some UNP members blamed the party leadership for the blunder in Colombo, some UPFA sources in Gampaha raised questions as to whether the inclusion of an under age candidate was an act of sabotage by the opposition party, the Daily Mirror reported, without elaborating.
Other rejections of nomination lists included the UNP’s list for the Seethawakapura Urban Council and the UPFA lists for Matale Municipal Council and for the Talawakele and Lindula Urban Council.
The nomination list for the Embilipitiya Pradeshiya Sabha from the Buddhist monks party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) was also rejected, as were the nomination lists of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) for the Colombo Municipal Council and the Puttalam Urban Council.
UNP Colombo District parliamentarian Ravi Karunayake and the party’s General Secretary, N. V. K. K. Weragoda said it would take legal action to have the rejection over ruled.
In a letter to the Polls chief Dayananda Dissanayake, the UNP said “it is a matter of grave concern that the determination was made without giving an opportunity to make representations in this regard inasmuch as the request made by our legal counsel, prior to the rejection of the nomination paper, in support of our position. There was no warrant for so doing was not acceded to.”
“You will no doubt appreciate that this unlawful and illegal rejection has gravely prejudiced the exercise of franchise by the voters in the Colombo Municipal Council electoral areas. These voters have been deprived of the opportunity of electing the candidates of their choice,” Weragoda said in the letter to Election Commissioner.
In the meantime, a spokesman for the third largest party in Sri Lanka, the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said the party would be fielding nearly 5000 candidates in 21 districts including the Trincomalee and Ampara which have huge numbers of Sinhala settlers – and even the Tamil-dominated Mullaitivu, Batticaloa and Vavuniya districts.
The JVP filed nomination lists in respect of all local councils except for those in the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mannar.
The JVP’s contestation on a ticket separate from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) – the main constituent of the UPFA – ends much speculation whether the pair, who allied to promote President Mahinda Rajapakse’s election campaign last year would remain united.
Meanwhile, after a court ruling last Wednesday, the SLMC decided to field its candidates under the UNP banner except for the Kalmunai Municipal Council, Nintavur, Navidanweli and Mutur Pradeshiya Sabhas, where the party is fielding candidates as an independent group.
This last minute decision was taken by the party high command after the Colombo District Court issued an enjoining order preventing it from handing over nomination lists under the SLMC symbol.
Party Leader Rauff Hakeem told the Daily Mirror the UNP had agreed to accommodate the SLMC candidates under its elephant symbol.
He said the SLMC was confident of winning control of several councils under the UNP symbol and this last minute decision was taken because the SLMC was determined not to allow its enemies to sideline or undermine it.
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) has decided to contest five Pradeshiya Sabhas alone in the polls while contesting for another nine electorates in alliance with the Up Country People’s Front (UPF).
The JHU also submitted nominations for 93 local government institutions in 15 districts including Amparai and Vavuniya. Commenting on the party’s decision to contest the Local Government Elections in all districts, party leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera said, without elaborating, members of current government institutions had not performed their duty by the public.
The polls are expected to cost the Elections Department an estimated one billion rupees – the cost of the November presidential election, an official told The Island newspaper. The main segments of expenditure were said to be security and postal service, with the department spending Rs. 18 million and Rs. 80 million respectively.
A total of 4,255 members are to be elected to 330 local bodies including 18 Municipal Councils, 42 Urban Councils and 270 Pradeshiya Sabhas. More than 10,000 candidates will vie for seats at these Councils.
The main parliamentary opposition, the United National Party (UNP), had its nomination list for the Colombo Municipal Council, which the party has held since 1977, rejected.
Similarly, the governing United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had its list for the Gampaha Pradeshiya Sabha – the constituency from which the former President and current Sri Lanka Freedom Party leader Chandrika Kumaratunga hails – rejected.
In both cases the lists were rejected because one of the candidates on their respective lists was not over 18 years of age on 1 June, 2004, as the rules stipulate, local press reports said. Both parties said they would challenge the rejection order in Court.
Interestingly, while some UNP members blamed the party leadership for the blunder in Colombo, some UPFA sources in Gampaha raised questions as to whether the inclusion of an under age candidate was an act of sabotage by the opposition party, the Daily Mirror reported, without elaborating.
Other rejections of nomination lists included the UNP’s list for the Seethawakapura Urban Council and the UPFA lists for Matale Municipal Council and for the Talawakele and Lindula Urban Council.
The nomination list for the Embilipitiya Pradeshiya Sabha from the Buddhist monks party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) was also rejected, as were the nomination lists of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) for the Colombo Municipal Council and the Puttalam Urban Council.
UNP Colombo District parliamentarian Ravi Karunayake and the party’s General Secretary, N. V. K. K. Weragoda said it would take legal action to have the rejection over ruled.
In a letter to the Polls chief Dayananda Dissanayake, the UNP said “it is a matter of grave concern that the determination was made without giving an opportunity to make representations in this regard inasmuch as the request made by our legal counsel, prior to the rejection of the nomination paper, in support of our position. There was no warrant for so doing was not acceded to.”
“You will no doubt appreciate that this unlawful and illegal rejection has gravely prejudiced the exercise of franchise by the voters in the Colombo Municipal Council electoral areas. These voters have been deprived of the opportunity of electing the candidates of their choice,” Weragoda said in the letter to Election Commissioner.
In the meantime, a spokesman for the third largest party in Sri Lanka, the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said the party would be fielding nearly 5000 candidates in 21 districts including the Trincomalee and Ampara which have huge numbers of Sinhala settlers – and even the Tamil-dominated Mullaitivu, Batticaloa and Vavuniya districts.
The JVP filed nomination lists in respect of all local councils except for those in the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mannar.
The JVP’s contestation on a ticket separate from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) – the main constituent of the UPFA – ends much speculation whether the pair, who allied to promote President Mahinda Rajapakse’s election campaign last year would remain united.
Meanwhile, after a court ruling last Wednesday, the SLMC decided to field its candidates under the UNP banner except for the Kalmunai Municipal Council, Nintavur, Navidanweli and Mutur Pradeshiya Sabhas, where the party is fielding candidates as an independent group.
This last minute decision was taken by the party high command after the Colombo District Court issued an enjoining order preventing it from handing over nomination lists under the SLMC symbol.
Party Leader Rauff Hakeem told the Daily Mirror the UNP had agreed to accommodate the SLMC candidates under its elephant symbol.
He said the SLMC was confident of winning control of several councils under the UNP symbol and this last minute decision was taken because the SLMC was determined not to allow its enemies to sideline or undermine it.
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) has decided to contest five Pradeshiya Sabhas alone in the polls while contesting for another nine electorates in alliance with the Up Country People’s Front (UPF).
The JHU also submitted nominations for 93 local government institutions in 15 districts including Amparai and Vavuniya. Commenting on the party’s decision to contest the Local Government Elections in all districts, party leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera said, without elaborating, members of current government institutions had not performed their duty by the public.
The polls are expected to cost the Elections Department an estimated one billion rupees – the cost of the November presidential election, an official told The Island newspaper. The main segments of expenditure were said to be security and postal service, with the department spending Rs. 18 million and Rs. 80 million respectively.
