NorthEast local government elections postponed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 13:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake Tuesday issued a notice postponing the thrice-postponed local authority elections in the northeast province for later dates. Except elections to local authorities in Amparai district, elections to local authorities in other districts in the province have been postponed by another nine months. Elections to local authorities in Amparai district are rescheduled to be held on 21 February 2004, government sources said.

According to these notification elections to local authorities in the administrative districts of Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Batticaloa and Trincomalee will be held on October 23 this year.

Elections to Kalmunai Municipal Council and Pradeshiya Sabahs of Sammanthurai, Akkaraipattu, Addalichchenai, Nintavur, Thirukovil and Pottuvil will be held next month, sources said.

The Commissioner of Elections took the decision to hold local government elections in Amparai district next month after discussions with the Returning Officer of Amparai district, sources said.

Earlier the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Minister Mr.Rauff Hakim requested the Commissioner of Elections to hold elections to local authorities in the Amparai district citing reason that the security situation in the district has improved, sources said. However Returning Officers of the other administrative districts in the province wanted a postponement till the security situation in the districts improved, sources said.