The Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya will sign the Local Authorities (Amendment) Bill on August 31 at the Speaker’s Office. The Speaker of Parliament confirmed his decision earlier today (29).
The Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament with amendments, on August 25, 2017.
The bill was passed with 120 voting in favour and 44 abstaining while no votes were cast against the bill.
MPs representing the Joint Opposition were among those who abstained from voting on the bill.
Initially there had been an agreement for the bill to be passed without a vote and with amendments, however JVP leader and Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake objected and called for a vote on the bill.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said that the Bill was passed in the third reading after its deliberations and was passed in a revised manner.
The debate on the second reading of the Bill was held yesterday (24) .The Local Authorities Elections Act No. 22 of 2012 was presented to Parliament on June 20 by Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Mustapha.
Accordingly the Speaker of parliament stated that all preparations are being made for the signing of the Bill on August 31.
