330 local authorities dissolved, local elections under PR system

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 January 2011, 11:44 GMT]
330 local authorities- Municipal Councils (MC), Urban Councils (UC) and Predesiya Saba (PS) in the twenty five districts in the island are to be dissolved with effect from Thursday midnight by a special gazette notification and the election is to be held on one day in mid March under the current Proportional Representation (PR) system, Sri Lankan election department sources said.

Meanwhile the government Tuesday told parliament that it had decided to postpone the passing of the Local Authorities (Special Provisions) Bill and the Local Authorities (amendment) Bill in the parliament for a later date.

The Sri Lankan Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Authorities A.L.M.Athaullah presenting the bills in parliament Tuesday said members need more time to study the bills and to introduce amendments.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) strongly opposed the government decision to postpone the two bills to became law.

UNP parliamentarian Joseph Michael Perera said that the government is afraid of facing local elections under the amended local government election bills that enable the poll to be conducted under a mixed system-first-past-post and PR system.