Currently, ‘Ranil-Rajapaksa’ government has set the environment to postpone the LG election. Moreover, it has been officially announced that new members will be appointed to independent commissions.
Accordingly,tenure of the show off Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa will end. It is not wrong to say that the Election Commission is already being dysfunctional.
The final decision regarding the LG election rests with the Supreme Court. However, there is no reason for the Supreme Court to serve stubborn decision such as “March 9 election should be held”.
Currently, the Ministry of Finance has informed the court that there is no money to spend on the election. Even if the election can be held using Supreme Court jurisdiction, it will have dire consequences.
If the election is forced on the executive, it will create a conflict between the executive and the judiciary. The result is nothing but re-emergence of oil queues and gas queues.
There is no possibility to keep snakes in their lap (Supreme Court) those who away from them. The court will rule that the elections will be held on a date mutually agreed upon by the government and the Election Commission.
When the particular verdict comes, show off Nimal Panchihewa will not be at the Election Commission but at home. There will be a new face on his seat. The new comers are definitely fans of the government. Accordingly, the Ranil-Rajapaksa government decides the election.
Currently, government is planing to postpone the LG election and call presidential election first as per the constitution. Under general conditions the next presidential election should be called on November 17, 2024.
However, under special clauses it can call presidential election after November 17, 2023 if the incumbent president is running again as a candidate. Said clause as follows,
According to Article 30 (3) (a) of the constitution, if the incumbent president has an ambition to contest for the second time, a new presidential election can be called after 04 years of his tenure.
However, there is an argument to the contrary. The argument is successor president does not have the right to call the presidential election. But according to Dr. Jayampathi Wickramaratne, who drafted the 19th Constitution, a presidential election can call after November 2023.
Right now, there is a favorable situation for Sajith Premadasa in the grassroots.Sajith acts like Santa by spending Chinese money. Sajith has started his election campaign by distributing Indian buses by the Chinese money that obtained secretly. But the world knows how Sajith got the money to spend.
However, the situation may turn upside down by November. Ranil was recommended for the presidency by America. America will not stay as mute spectator until the man recommended by them be defeated. The US can approve the IMF relief package and create financial stability in Sri Lanka. In that case, no one can prevent the emergence of a favorable field for Ranil.
