The Election Commission (EC) has repeatedly sought guidance from the Presidential Secretariat regarding the long-delayed Provincial Council (PC) elections but has yet to receive any response, EC Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake said.
Speaking to The Morning, Ratnayake revealed that the commission has issued around four letters seeking clarification on the legal deadlock surrounding the provincial council elections. Despite these efforts, he said the EC remains unable to proceed as the matter now depends entirely on legislative amendments.
“We are completely blocked. There is nothing more we can do on our own. It is completely beyond our control,” Ratnayake said. He added that the EC cannot take further action until the necessary legal changes are implemented. “We have requested the necessary steps, but we have not received a response yet.”
Ratnayake had previously outlined two possible paths forward: conducting elections under the old proportional representation (PR) system or waiting for a new delimitation process. He noted that while reverting to the previous system would allow elections to be held quickly, a new delimitation exercise would take nearly a year and should begin immediately if that option is chosen.
Provincial council elections have been in limbo for years due to a legal complication arising from an amendment introduced by the United National Front government between 2015 and 2020. Although a delimitation report was finalized and submitted to Parliament, it was rejected by MPs, leaving the matter unresolved.
In May 2025, Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government P. Ruwan Senarath stated that the government intended to initiate the necessary legal reforms after the conclusion of the local government elections, scheduled for May 6, 2025. However, no visible progress has been made regarding legal amendments or preparations for the provincial council elections.
Meanwhile, the government has reportedly intended to appoint a parliamentary select committee to determine the way forward for the provincial council elections, but that step has not yet been taken.
Attempts to contact Provincial Councils Minister Professor A.H.M.H. Abayaratne and Deputy Minister Senarath were unsuccessful. The Presidential Media Division, when reached, said it was not aware of the matter.
