NPP Secretary Agrees to Hold Provincial Council Elections Under Old System: Signs Joint Resolution

28-May-2026

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National People’s Power (NPP) Secretary Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe expressed his agreement to temporarily conduct the long-delayed Provincial Council elections under the previous electoral system and also signed the document prepared in this regard.

A discussion organised by the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) was held on May 26 to obtain the views of political parties regarding the electoral system under which the suspended Provincial Council elections should be conducted.

Secretaries and leaders of more than 50 political parties, both represented and unrepresented in Parliament, participated in the discussion.

Opening the discussion, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi stated that the last Provincial Council election was the Uva Provincial Council election held in 2014, while the terms of the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils ended in 2017. He pointed out that Provincial Council elections had not been held for nearly three consecutive terms.

He further stated that all political parties which had been in power during this period should bear responsibility for the delay, and that the responsibility now rests with the National People’s Power government. He noted that the meeting had been convened to gather the views of political parties on conducting the Provincial Council elections expeditiously.

During the discussion, representatives of all political parties unanimously agreed that the Provincial Council elections should at least temporarily be conducted under the old system. It was also decided to submit this resolution to the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to examine the holding of the Provincial Council elections, and all participants signed the relevant document.

NPP Secretary Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, who attended the meeting, also expressed his agreement and signed the document.