20 local authorities go to polls Saturday

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 May 2006, 19:02 GMT]
Four Municipal Councils, Colombo and Gampaha in the Western Province, Galle in Southern Province and Kalmunai in the Eastern Province along with three urban councils and thirteen Pradesiya Saba in the country, altogether twenty local government institutions, will go to polls Saturday. About 1.1 million voters are qualified to cast their franchise in this poll to elect 312 councilors, election department sources said.

Keen contest is expected for Colombo Municipal Council as the veteran leftist leader Mr.Vasudeva Nanayakkara is leading the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) is contesting under an independent group as its official list had been rejected by the Returning Officer for not conforming to election ordinance. The UNP unsuccessfully contested the rejection in the court of law and finally decided to include the names of official candidates of the UNP in the list of an independent group qualified to contest the election, sources said.

UPFA is contesting the Gampaha Municipal Council under the list of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) as its official list was rejected by the Returning Officer on the nomination day for not conforming to the rules and regulations of the election ordinance, sources said.

The first phase of election to local government authorities was held on March 30. The third phase of elections would be held to local authorities in the districts of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar and Batticaloa on September 30. Elections to these institutions were postponed in March to September 30 because of tense ground situation, sources said.