No elections in North or East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 March 1999, 20:45 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President announced today that elections to local government bodies in the Eastern province and the Vavuniya district which are to be dissolved on April 3 will not be held until "conditions improve" in these areas.

Several Tamil politicians who were elected to these bodies in March 1994 were angered and chagrined by the Presidential proclamation.

Asked by the TamilNet's area correspondent to comment on the government's decision to postpone elections indefinitely under the Public Security Ordinance Batticaloa Mayor Cheliyan Perinpanayagam said this evening:

"The voice of the people in the north and east has been crushed by the central government by continuing to run the North-eastern Provincial Council through the governor and officials who are not answerable to the people."

In these circumstances the only channel that remained through which the people could make their voice heard were the local government bodies.

The army took over ninety percent of the resources and assets of the Batticaloa Municipal Council (MC) while it was being run by a special commissioner.

The Koddamunai Library, the Batticaloa Rest House, the MC building complex, the MC quarters and the Weber stadium were seized overnight by the SLA. The MC was able to stop the army from taking over the remaining assets only after elected members of the council began expressing concern".

"Government officials cannot articulate the problems of the people when representatives of foreign governments visit our areas. This is a plan to strangle the voice of the people for good the way the NEPC was done with. We are not asking the government to extend the life of the local bodies but to hold elections and let the people be represented."

Mr.Perinpanayagam is the President of the Federation of the Local Government Chairmen of the Batticaloa district.

The Presidential communiqué on the dissolution of the local government bodies says "The election of local authorities comprising the Urban Council in the Vavuniya district of the Northern Province and 39 local authorities in the three distrcits of Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee in the eastern province which consist of one Municipal Council, three Urban Council and thirty six Pradeshiya Sabhas were held on March 1, 1994.

Their terms of office commenced on April 3, 1994 and expired on April 3, 1998. Thereafter the Hon.Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government extended the terms of office of the members of these local authorities till April 3,1999 by virtue of the powers vested in him by section 10(2)(b) of the MC ordinance, section 10 (2)(b) of the Urban Councils Ordinance and section 5(2)(b) of the Pradheshiya Sabha act no.13 of 1987 respectively.

Under the provisions of the said laws no further extension is possible.

In the above circumstances Her Excellency the President has decided to appoint the Divisional Secretaries of the respective areas as special commissioners to administer these local authorities until the conditions improve in these areas to hold elections. An order under Section 5 of the Public Security Ordinance will be published in the government gazette to give effect to this decision."

 

Latest 15 Reports
24.04.22 05:44  
தீவின் நெருக்கடிச் சூழலில் ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசம் கடைப்பிடிக்கவேண்டிய நிலைப்பாடுகள்
09.04.22 14:44   Photo
குறிதவறும் ஈழத்தமிழர் தலைமைகளுக்கு வரலாறு தருகின்ற எச்சரிக்கை
21.01.22 07:24   Photo
ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசத்தின் தலைமைத்துவம் தேர்தல் அரசியற் கட்சிகளுக்கு அப்பாலானது
02.11.21 15:32   Photo
13 ஆம் சட்டத்திருத்தத்தால் கட்டமைக்கப்பட்ட இன அழிப்பை எதிர்கொள்ள முடியுமா?
15.09.21 08:19  
English version not available
17.05.21 19:23   Photo
Ananthi blames war criminal Silva for blocking collective memorial at Mu'l'livaaykkaal
09.04.21 14:46  
English version not available
23.03.21 12:41   Photo
No focus on Tamil genocide, geopolitics gets played out in Geneva in favour of QUAD formation
21.03.21 13:34   Photo
Navi Pillay explains ‘human rights’ limitations in Geneva on Tamil genocide
15.03.21 20:36   Photo
Deceived Tamil activists in UK falsely claimed ‘substantial changes’ to Zero draft
09.03.21 21:34   Photo
UK repeatedly wronged Tamils says hunger-striker, demands genocide justice
26.02.21 11:53   Photo
Tamils witness false dilemma in Geneva as geopolitical formations pit against each other
19.02.21 14:02   Photo
UK not prepared to push for ICC option in new UNHRC Resolution
07.02.21 23:16   Photo
Unprecedented P2P uprising paves the way for rights-oriented politics of Tamils and Muslims
22.01.21 08:01   Photo
Gotabaya sets up deceptive COI citing ‘sovereignty’ and ‘non-aligned’ foreign policy
 
Find this article at:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=3072