Holding Provincial Council Elections Soon Is Government’s Main Objective: Minister Nalinda Jayatissa

28-May-2026

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Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the government’s primary objective is to hold Provincial Council elections as soon as possible and that there are no financial obstacles to conducting the polls.

He explained, however, that elections would be held once legal issues relating to the electoral system are resolved through the Parliamentary Select Committee.

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing held in Colombo on May 26, the Minister noted that the present government had successfully conducted two major elections within eight months of assuming office.

He recalled that the term of the Local Government bodies elected in 2018 had expired in 2022, after which their term had been extended by two years through ministerial powers. Following that extension, local government elections were indefinitely postponed on the grounds of insufficient funds.

Despite various challenges, he said the government eventually conducted those elections in 2025.

Minister Jayatissa stressed that the government’s expectation is to uphold the people’s sovereignty in accordance with the Constitution by conducting Provincial Council elections at the earliest opportunity.

He added that although it would have been preferable to hold Provincial Council elections alongside or prior to the Local Government elections, legal complications surrounding the electoral system had prevented this.

He further stated that sufficient funds had already been allocated for the election, and even otherwise, Parliament could approve funds through supplementary allocations if necessary.

According to the Minister, although a new electoral law for Provincial Council elections had previously been passed in Parliament, the system remained incomplete, making it impossible to conduct elections under that framework. Once the legal complications are resolved, the elections will be held promptly.