A final decision on holding Provincial Council (PC) Elections is unlikely to be reached this year, according to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government.
Minister A.H.M.H. Abayarathna told media that preliminary discussions on the long-delayed polls had begun but emphasized that the process required extensive consultation before any conclusion could be made.
“Discussions have already begun regarding holding PC Elections, but I don’t think a final decision will be made by the end of this year. This has been a long-standing issue, and a decision will have to be made after considering all the factors and consulting other political parties and organisations to reach common ground,” the Minister said.
The Provincial Council elections have been stalled for several years due to a legal issue stemming from the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Act of 2017, introduced during the 2015–2020 period.
To resolve the impasse, recent reports suggest the Government is exploring a return to the Provincial Councils Elections Act of 1988, amid ongoing disagreements over delimitation.
Earlier this year, Deputy Minister Prabha Ruwan Senarath stated that legal reforms for the PC Elections would commence following the Local Government Elections held in May.
However, no significant progress has been made since then.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has sought Rs. 10 billion in the 2026 National Budget to conduct the elections.
EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake noted that such allocations are requested annually until the polls are eventually held.
He explained that although the delimitation report had been completed and submitted to Parliament, it was later rejected.
Rathnayake added that the government must now decide whether the elections can proceed under the existing legal framework or if a new delimitation process will be necessary—a move that could take nearly a year to complete.
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