Sri Lanka’s LG elections between April 20-30?

The Supreme Court’s determination on the petitions filed against the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill is expected to be presented in Parliament tomorrow (14), during a special Parliamentary sitting. 

The call on the said special Parliamentary Sitting has been announced through the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2423/04, issued by the Speaker on February 10.

Accordingly, the Parliament will convene at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, and the Speaker has informed all Members of Parliament to attend.

This session is intended for the Speaker to inform the Parliament of the Supreme Court’s determination on the petitions filed against the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill. The relevant Ministerial Consultative Committee is also scheduled to meet tomorrow to consider the Bill.

Accordingly, based on that decision, the Second Reading debate on the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill will take place on Monday (February 17) from 2.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. 

If the bill is passed, the Election Commission will have the authority to re-call nominations for the LG elections the very next day.

If the election is called within the minimum required number of days, it is likely to be held on April 11. 

However, several practical challenges could arise in conducting the election on that date. The process requires printing 340 different types of ballot papers, which may not be feasible within the available time frame. 

Additionally, the Sinhala and Hindu New Year celebrations could also pose logistical difficulties.

Given these constraints, the Election Commission is likely to opt for the maximum possible timeframe for holding the LG Election. 

In that case, the election is expected to take place between April 20 and April 30, with the most suitable dates being either April 22 or April 25.