Opposition Criticises Delays in Provincial Council Elections and New Constitution Promise

An opposition speaker has criticised the government over delays in holding Provincial Council elections and what he described as a lack of progress towards introducing a new Constitution and abolishing the Executive Presidency.

Addressing the issue of Provincial Council elections, the speaker said the government had promised to hold the polls within a year of the presidential election. He argued that the continued administration of Provincial Councils by governors, rather than elected representatives, undermines democratic representation.

The speaker also criticised the government’s parliamentary select committee tasked with examining the electoral system for Provincial Council elections. He claimed that the committee had failed to reach an agreement and accused the government of using procedural delays to postpone the polls. Opposition representatives had decided to boycott the committee, he said, and opposed a proposal to extend its mandate by a further three months.

He argued that the elections could be held under the existing proportional representation system or through a mechanism proposed by the Election Commission, provided the necessary legal arrangements were made.

The speaker also questioned the government’s progress on its promise to introduce a new Constitution. Referring to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s reported pledge to be the country’s last executive president, he asked why the government had not made greater public progress on constitutional reform.

He described the alleged failure to address these commitments during public speeches as “political dishonesty” and called on the government to explain its plans for electoral and constitutional reform.

The Election Commission has previously stated that Provincial Council elections can be conducted once Parliament enacts the necessary legal framework. The elections have been delayed amid unresolved issues surrounding the electoral system and constituency delimitation.