May 07, Colombo (LNW): The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has urged the government to immediately move forward with long-delayed Provincial Council elections, warning against what it described as repeated attempts to postpone the process through committees and procedural justifications.
Addressing the media, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi expressed concern over the prolonged absence of elections in several provinces, noting that some regions have gone more than a decade without elected provincial representatives.
He pointed out that the Eastern Province last held polls in 2012, while voters in the Uva Province have not elected a Provincial Council since 2014.
Hettiarachchi stressed that these provinces have effectively remained under the administration of appointed Governors for years, depriving residents of direct democratic representation at the provincial level.
He further criticised the government for failing to honour promises made during its election campaign, recalling that the ruling administration had pledged to conduct both Local Government and Provincial Council elections within its first year in office.
According to Hettiarachchi, despite more than eighteen months having passed since the current leadership assumed power, there has been little indication of practical preparations or a clear roadmap for holding the long-overdue elections.
He also accused successive governments of repeatedly using electoral reform discussions as a pretext to postpone polls. Referring to reports of another committee being appointed to study electoral reforms, Hettiarachchi argued that sufficient recommendations and expert reports already exist after years of consultations involving political parties, civil society groups and members of the public.
He maintained that the authorities should now focus on implementing those proposals through Parliament rather than initiating further reviews that could delay the democratic process even longer.
PAFFREL called on the government to expedite the required legal amendments and ensure that Provincial Council elections are held without unnecessary postponement, emphasising that restoring representative governance is essential for public accountability and democratic stability.