Nominations filed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Eleven political parties and two independent groups have filed nominations for the provincial council elections scheduled for the August 28. Nominations were closed this afternoon for the Western, North-central and Sabragamuwa provinces, while nominations for the Central and Uwa provinces were closed on July 3.

Elections commissioner rejected nominations made by the Liberal Party in Gampaha district in the Western Province, and those made by an independent group in Ratnapura District in Sabragamuwa Province.

However, it is widely believed that the elections will be postponed after the government imposed emergency regulations for the entire country, said sources in Colombo.

The Sri Lanka Government had sought the support of the main opposition party, the UNP, for a motion to postpone Provincial Council election on grounds that in the present climate it would be untenable to withdraw security personnel from the war zone. The move was welcomed by senior members of the Buddhist Clergy.

The UNP then promised on the condition that the Government bring forward the date for Presidential elections, scheduled for the year 2000.

The Government did not accept the challenge and opted instead to go ahead with Provincial Council elections as planned.

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