The Minister of Provincial Councils and local government has no authority to take ‘arbitrary decisions’ to delay the election, the Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE) says.
The CaFFE stated that the gazette to authorize the scheduled time to hold the local government election has been extended by another three months through an extraordinary gazette issued on June 28.
The gazette stated that “By virtue of the powers vested in me by section 9 of the Municipal Councils Ordinance (Chapter 252), I Faiszer Musthapha, Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, do by this order, amend the date of operation of the order related to the Local Authorities stipulated in the following schedule published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2013/29 of 07th April 2017 as 01st of October 2017.”
The CaFFE pointed out that there is no mandate to delay the local government election without holding a referendum.
The election watchdog also said it is of the view that however the Election Commission may issue a gazette to hold the election in the North Central, Sabaragamuwa and Western Provinces as scheduled on October 2.
