(UTV | COLOMBO) – The National Election Commission will convene today to arrive at a number of crucial decisions.
Chairman of the Commission Mahinda Deshapriya said the decision pertaining to the Parliamentary Election Date will likely to be taken during today’s meeting.
According to the Extraordinary Gazette notification issued on the 2nd of March to dissolve Parliament, the General Election was slated to be held on the 25th of April.
However, due to the COVID-19 health crisis in the country, the Election Commission postponed the election until the 20th of June. Meanwhile, on the 3rd of June, a five-member Supreme Court bench dismissed the petitions filed against the decision by the Election Commission to conduct the General Election on the 20th of June, without a hearing.
The Election Commission subsequently received the health guidelines to facilitate the conduct the General Election. Accordingly, all three members of the Election Commission will meet today to arrive at crucial decisions on the conduct of the impending General Election.
However, the Chairman of the Election Commission, Mahinda Deshapriya has indicated the Parliamentary Election cannot be held during the month of June and noted they are determined to conduct the polls before the end of August.
Meanwhile, a senior spokesperson of the Election Commission informed NewsRadio that if the Election Day is decided today, the Gazette pertaining to the Parliamentary Election declaration and the preferential numbers of the candidates will be issued this evening.