LG POLLS EARLIER THAN EXPECTED?

Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya re-kindled hopes of holding the local government polls earlier than expected when he said they could be held within 75 days of the Asoka Peiris Committee handing over the delimitation report to LG Minister Faizer Musthapha. This comes in the wake of a statement by the minister that he expected the five-member delimitation committee headed by Mr. Peiris to submit its report in October which means that the LG polls could be held in January 2017. Mr. Deshapriya told reporters that all 335 LG bodies were under Special Commissioners or Secretaries and that the delay to hold the elections was due to the various issues in the report submitted by the National De-limitation Commission Report appointed after the LG electoral reforms were passed in Parliament in 2012. “I need a minimum of 75 days from the date elections are declared to prepare for the polls. I am told that in addition to issues pertaining to delimitation, there are some technical issues as well. We must sort out all sticking points before holding the elections,” he said.

Commenting on politics and politicians, Mr. Deshapriya said politicians could not be categorized as bad or good.

“But voters must be vigilant, careful and alert not to elect candidates with questionable repute or having allegations of fraud and corruption against them.

As French political analysts and philosopher Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821) once said, “Every nation has the government it deserves’. Mr. Deshapriya said the same could apply to voters also who get the representatives they deserve.” Mr. Deshapriya added that only people could clean-up politics by voting for clean politicians as their representatives in the local government bodies, provincial councils or Parliament for that matter.