Minister says cannot hold elections to remaining local government bodies of Sri Lanka on the same day

A senior Sri Lankan government minister has said that elections to remaining local government bodies could not be held on the same day.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has told the media that the government would not be able to hold elections to the remaining local government bodies on the same day due to pending court cases.

He said that while elections for some 23 local bodies, where the terms of office were extended would be held separately, the elections for the 67 other local government bodies with pending court cases would be held separately.

According to Sirisena, although the government initially intended to hold election for the all the remaining local government bodies on the same day, it would not be possible due to the pending court cases in some local government bodies.