By Rathindra Kuruwita
The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) yesterday condemned a private member motion by MP Jayantha Ketagoda, seeking to empower the line minister to extend the tenure of local government bodies without elections.
The private member motion by MP Ketagoda had sought to amend certain sections of the Urban Councils Ordinance, Municipal Councils Ordinance, and Local Authorities Act, PAFFREL Executive Director, Rohana Hettiarachchi said.
“If this private motion is adopted, the minister will be able to ask the councillors of now defunct local government bodies to continue. This motion was gazetted on 26 June,” he said.
Hettiarachchi said local government elections should have been held in the first quarter of 2023. The government had postponed them using underhand methods, he said.
“What we need is to hold local government elections immediately. However, the government is now trying to change laws through a private member’s motion to do away with elections,” he said.
The PAFFREL Executive Director said that if Ketagoda’s private member’s motion was passed, the government would adopt the same method in respect of the Provincial Councils as well.