Fresh nominations for postponed LG Polls

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted provisions to call nominations once again in order to secure fundamental rights of voters deprived of the right to vote and be nominated to be voted at the Local Government election,

Cabinet Spokesman Mass Media Minister Dr.Bandula Gunawardhana said. He was speaking to the media yesterday at the Government Information Department.

It is apparent that more than 900,000 newly included voters in the electoral list revised in 2024 will be deprived of their right to vote and be nominated to be voted at the upcoming Local Government elections due to the postponement of Local Government elections to be held on September 3, 2023.

In accordance with Article 4 of the Constitution, although every citizen who completed 18 years and included their name in the electoral register after being eligible to be a voter should be able to cast his or her vote, it is apparent that only the voters registered until January 2023 in which the date nominations for local government elections scheduled to be held in the future are eligible to cast votes since the nominations for that election have been called and concluded.

Furthermore, followed by the passing of Local Government Elections (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 2023, a 25 percent youth representation should be allowed in the nominations submitted for local government elections. However, the compulsory opportunity of 25% of representation of the youth community is deprived of by now due to calling nominations in 2023.

The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the consolidated proposal by the Prime Minister in his capacity as the Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister with the Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Minister to:

• Secure the right to cast vote of the voters whose names are included in the electoral register at the local government election which is scheduled to be held in the future but deprived of casting votes;

• Secure the rights since fundamental rights of more than 900,000 youth voters whose names are included in the electoral register of 2024 are liable to be deprived of;

• Secure the rights of the youth community whose rights would be violated or discriminated due to loss of quota for youth when presenting as a candidate as per provisions of the Local Government Elections (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 2023;

To call back the nominations that have already been called for Local Government elections 2023, as well as to instruct the Legal Draftsman to formulate a draft bill on local government elections (special provisions) including appropriate provisions, by consulting the relevant Commission, so that necessary powers to the elections commission will be received to call nominations once again for conducting local government elections based on the electoral register of 2024.

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