Colombo: Sri Lanka’s government had not discussed at any point the postponement of the presidential election which will be held on schedule this year, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said, dismissing as “irresponsible” a controversial proposal by President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s party to postpone both presidential and general elections.
The island nation’s Elections Commission earlier this month said the presidential election would be conducted between September 17 and October 16.
Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) general secretary Palitha Range Bandara presented a proposal to postpone both the presidential and general elections by two years and emphasised that if circumstances warrant, this proposal can be formally submitted to Parliament, paving the way for a referendum.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Gunawardena said the date for the presidential election is scheduled for 2024 and that the Constitution provides for the election commission to call elections.
“According to the Constitution, it is the election commission that has the power to call a presidential election within the due dates. It cannot be called early or later. The provisions are there in the Constitution,” he said.
“The dates are this year,” he added.
Responding to questions on safeguarding democracy, the prime minister said the government had in fact restored democracy.
“We have restored democracy since the night it was destroyed,” he said, apparently referring to the unprecedented street protests in the country that led to the resignation of the Rajapaksa brothers as the president and the prime minister in 2022.
Gunawardena said the current parliament can continue till August 2025.
Parliamentary, provincial and local government elections will all follow the presidential election, according to Gunawardena.
“What anyone says without responsibility, something that was not discussed at the government at any moment, hurriedly expressed to get the country worked up will not be allowed in a democratic government and parliament,” he said, calling the proposal by the UNP as “irresponsible”.
The Election Commission also expressed dismay over any attempts to delay the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections, insisting they proceed as scheduled.
R M A L Ratnayake, the Election Commission chief, said that the stance of the Commission has already been conveyed to the government that the presidential election should be held between September 17 and October 16 while the parliamentary election is slated for 2025, Daily Mirror newspaper reported.
“We are fully geared for the upcoming presidential election as funds have already been allocated,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
Further, he said the date of the presidential election will be declared between the end of July and the early part of August.
Responding to a question on the UNP’s proposal, he said that they had not been informed about holding a referendum.
“The Constitution clearly outlines the provisions for holding a referendum. However, it should not coincide with an election,” he said.
In a strong rebuke, the People’s Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) warned they would take legal action against any attempts to delay the elections.