• PSC process underway to determine electoral framework for delayed polls

The Government has indicated that addressing the ongoing crisis will take precedence over holding long-delayed Provincial Council (PC) Elections, even as it moves to resolve legal and procedural barriers to conduct the polls.

Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Prabha Ruwan Senarath said the Government was not opposed to holding elections but stressed that current circumstances required urgent attention.

“First, we must face the current situation. A Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) has been appointed and we hope to discuss and take a decision regarding that. But right now, rather than talking about an election, we must face the situation that has arisen internationally (in the Middle East),” he said.

He emphasised that funds had already been allocated for the election, rejecting claims that the Government was attempting to sideline the process.

“I’m not saying to forget about holding the election. If we were forgetting it, we wouldn’t need to allocate Rs. 10 billion from the budget for the election. We are ready to hold the election. The issue is not with us or the Election Commission. Those who created the obstacles were the ones who postponed the election. They must now come together and make the law to hold it again,” Senarath said.

The debate over PC Elections resurfaced following criticism from Opposition figures over the lack of progress, particularly in the Northern Province, where polls have been repeatedly delayed for several years.

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader Mano Ganesan questioned the Government’s commitment to holding the elections.

“If Mahinda Rajapaksa, who fought a brutal war in the north and earned the resentment of Tamils, could still hold the Northern Provincial Council Election, why can’t President Anura Kumara Dissanayake do the same?” he said in a statement shared on social media on 14 March.

Responding to such criticism, Senarath reiterated that the delay was not attributable to the current administration, pointing instead to unresolved legal and structural issues.

“We should not be focusing on elections right now. Parliament has appointed a PSC and we are awaiting its decision. Our absolute priority is resolving the national crisis while operating strictly within the Constitution,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister Vijitha Herath, who chairs the PSC appointed to examine the electoral system for PC Elections, said that the Government remained committed to holding the polls once the necessary framework was finalised.

He said that the committee’s first meeting had been scheduled to be held in Parliament on Tuesday (17), with the aim of resolving legal hurdles and enabling the Election Commission to proceed with the elections.