EC not doing enough to hold LG polls – JVP

The JVP says that the Election Commission is not doing enough to hold the local government elections.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, the party’s General Secretary Tilvin Silva said the Election Commission had to make use of the existing laws to safeguard the people’s franchise. “It can effectively resist the attempts to derail the electoral process. It has chosen its own stance. Yet we think that it should act sternly. They should act firm and decisively because it is duty bound to protect and uphold the rights of people.

“We are not trying to get an election by force.

We demand only resumption of the process that the election commission had been working on to hold the local council polls. The election was declared by the commission in line with the provisions of the Election statutes. The elections commission called for and accepted nominations. The date for the election was set as March 09, by none other than the elections commission. Now the process is stalled using various excuses. This is illegal. The ongoing suspension of the elections process has been achieved using illegal methods. Now there is a struggle of two sides- one for the election and another against. It is now discernible to all who is on the side of democracy and who is on the other side. The commission should consider the people’s interests.

“Truth is on our side. Ours is a just struggle. We fight for their right to vote. This country cannot be steered out of this mess without elections,” Silva said.

JVP MP Vijitha Herath, NPP ex co members Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara and JVP trade union wing leader KD Lalkantha also addressed the press.