COVID-19: Sri Lanka postpones parliamentary poll to June 20

The parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka was on Monday (April 21) postponed by nearly two months to June 20 due to the coronavirus outbreak that has killed seven people and infected 295 others in the island nation.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on March 2 dissolved the Parliament, six months ahead of schedule and called a snap election on April 25.

A gazette notice signed by the three members of the National Election Commission announcing June 20 date of the election was issued on Monday after much deliberation with health and security authorities.

The EC has written to President Rajapaksa asking him to seek the highest court’s opinion on a possible constitutional standoff arising from the postponement of the election.

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It said that the postponement meant that parliament would not be able to meet on June 2, which is three months from the dismissal of last parliament on March 2.

However, Rajapaksa asserted that it was the election commission’s job to fix the polls date and as such no need for the Supreme Court’s intervention.

Earlier, the election commission met with the government officials and reviewed the pandemic situation affecting the election machinery.

On Monday, the government dropped its decision to relax the nationwide curfew and extended it to April 27 following a sudden spike of 41 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, a day after announcing to partially lift the curbs to boost economic activity.

The island nation has been under a 24-hour curfew since March 20 to combat the deadly viral infection with all opposition parties and many civil society groups urging the government to show caution in trying to rush through holding the election.

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Sri Lanka has so far reported 295 COVID-19 cases, including seven deaths, and 96 recoveries, since the first viral infection was reported in the country on March 11.

The parliamentary polls were announced 6 months ahead of the schedule as Rajapaksa, who was elected as president in November, wanted a new Parliament to implement his mandate.

Rajapaksa is also under pressure to re-summon the dissolved Parliament in order to approve finances for government business from May.

The country’s Constitution stipulates that a dissolved Parliament must be replaced within three months. The deadline had been June 2.

The previous Parliament had approved funds till April 30.

(With inputs from agencies)