Five elections due in 15 months

By Ranil Dharmasena-November 1, 2013, 9:19 pm 

The government has decided to hold five elections within 15 months, beginning January next year, Election Secretariat sources said yesterday.

There would be two national elections, two provincial council elections and a local government election, they said.

The Western and Southern Provincial Councils would be dissolved in the first week of January 2014 and elections held in mid March, sources said, adding that Uva Provincial Council would be dissolved in the first week of July and elections held in the first week of October.

There were plans to hold a presidential election in January 2015, while Parliament would be dissolved in the same month and a general election held at the end of March, sources said.

In addition, elections would be held to the Jaffna Municipal Council and Vavuniya Urban Council under the new electoral system next year. The tenure of 234 other local government bodies comes to end in March 2015 and elections to them would be held three months after the next general election, sources said.

A minister had held discussions with the Elections Secretariat on the feasibility of holding those elections in 15 months, starting from January next year, and the Secretariat had responded that it was prepared, sources added.