The proposed draft bill to the 20th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka to hold elections for all Provincial Council on the same day has been defeated at the Uva Provincial Council.

The motion failed with 5 votes for and 12 against its passing. 8 abstained.

The five who voted in favour were all members of the United National Party (UNP).

The Ada Derana correspondent stated that the draft bill had been submitted to the council by the Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake in the morning today (24), who himself voted against the draft.

The draft bill for the 20th Amendment to the Constitution was tabled in Parliament by the Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunathilaka, yesterday (23).

The draft bill received cabinet approval in June, and gazetted earlier this month.

It states that the “date on which all elections would be held should not be “later than the expiration of the term of the last constitute Provincial Council”.

The terms of the Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils are set to expire between September 6 and October 1, 2017.

The terms of the Central, Northern and North Western Provincial Councils are set to expire in September of 2018, the Western and Southern in March of 2019 and the Uva Provincial Council will expire in September 2019.

Meanwhile, the North Central Provincial Council approved the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution on August 22.

A total of 15 councilors voted in favour of the proposal while 13 voted against it, Ada Derana reporter said.