June 10, Colombo (LNW): The scheduling of Provincial Council elections remains in limbo as Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister for Provincial Councils and Local Government, Prabha Ruwan Senarath, confirmed that a final decision is anticipated in the opening months of next year.
He cited lingering legal complexities and administrative setbacks—chief amongst them the unresolved delimitation process—as primary reasons for the ongoing delay.
Minister Senarath clarified that no elections will take place until these fundamental challenges are thoroughly resolved and a cohesive, legally sound framework for local governance is firmly in place.
This stance follows controversy surrounding a previously submitted delimitation report, which was introduced under the tenure of former Minister Faizer Musthapha but was ultimately discarded after considerable political backlash.
Given the stalemate, the current administration is actively reviewing the possibility of reinstating the previous electoral model whilst reconfiguring the geographical boundaries of provincial councils to reflect more equitable representation.
Yet, the Deputy Minister underscored that the holding of any election must come after a comprehensive reform of the local government system, designed to enhance its capacity to deliver essential services at the community level.
Looking ahead, the government is tentatively eyeing January 2026 to revisit the question of elections. By then, authorities aim to have resolved the myriad legal and procedural issues that currently hinder the democratic process at the provincial level.
Preliminary consultations are reportedly already underway, though Senarath warned that multiple obstacles remain and must be addressed systematically before the nation can return to the polls.
