NE local government polls postponed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 September 2002, 14:57 GMT]
The Commissioner of Elections Tuesday announced that the local government polls in the Northeast province scheduled for 25 September has been postponed for the second time in a year. According to the notification issued by the Commissioner Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake Tuesday, the elections to Northeast local authorities will be held on 25 June, 2003.

Earlier the election was scheduled to be held on March 25. Later, on representations made by the Tamil National Alliance it was postponed to September 25.

The Tamil National Alliance last week requested the Prime Minister to put off the local government elections in the Northeast for a latter date to avoid any hindrance to the peace process now being taken forward.

The TNA also suggested to the Prime minister that the Commissioner of Elections has been empowered under the existing election law to put of the postponed polls in the Northeast province for a second time without obtaining parliamentary approval.

The Commissioner’s directive regarding the postponement was sent to assistant commissioner of elections in the districts of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara Tuesday evening, sources said.

Related Articles:
11.09.02   TNA urges PM to put off NE local polls