Ranil-led Delimitation Review Com’s time up

Polls monitors claimed that the two months afforded to the Committee led by former Prime Minister to review the Provincial Councils (PCs) Delimitation Report expires today (27). They reiterated that the Parliament would have to enact a law to expand the Committee’s mandate as no legal provisions existed to further extend the review period.
The polls monitors pointed out that the whole purpose of having a two-month time-frame  for the review Committee to conclude the review and submit its report to the Parliament in the first place was to prevent the further postponement of the PCs Polls and if this is not heeded then the entire purpose of having the said clause stipulating the duration would be lost.  The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) pointed out that the only option available for the civil society to see to it that the PCs Polls are held is to pursue legal action, which, however, was likely to turn out to be self defeating owing to the time consuming nature of the process.
On the other hand I believe that even though the Election Commission cannot perform miracles at this juncture, as an independent Commission, it could while working on the basis of the Delimitation Report iron out matters pertaining to the bail amount or ballot paper, Executive Director of the PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi, speaking to Ceylon Today observed. Proactive steps that could be taken by the Commission, however, are subject to legal interpretation, he noted.
He also opined that the PCs Polls were not likely to be held in the first quarter of next year either. “This situation of the PCs Polls not being held and being continuously postponed has to do with either the Government’s incompetence or purposeful delay on their part. The rulers, whoever they are, are responsible and duty bound to hold Elections at the proper time period. It concerns a fundamental matter which is that of the universal franchise. While the entire Parliament and the Leaders of Political Parties represented in the legislature share collective responsibility for this status quo, the primary responsibility is with the Government led by the President and the Premier. The instability of Political Parties should not factor in as the stability of the country is at stake when Elections are postponed”, he said.