Steps Needed to Hold Provincial Council Elections Without Delay; Harshana Rajakaruna

02-Sep-2025

.

Harshan Rajakaruna, Member of Parliament from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has urged the government to take immediate steps to conduct provincial council elections.

Speaking to the media following a public meeting in Gampaha on August 31, he pointed out that the government currently enjoys a two-thirds majority in Parliament, which makes it easy to amend the Provincial Council Act if required.

He stressed that their political movement is not merely an electoral alliance but a struggle against government repression. “We are uniting against oppression and seeking the cooperation of all. This is not a campaign to bring everyone under one electoral front,” he said.

Rajakaruna further alleged that following the arrest of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, undue pressure has been exerted on the Deputy Director of the Colombo National Hospital, as well as in several other sectors, through government repression.

He also condemned the police for being used as an instrument of oppression, citing the closure of roads on the day of Wickremesinghe’s court hearing, which prevented public access to court. “We will legally confront these forms of suppression. If the police attempt to enforce oppression under the guise of court proceedings, we are prepared to resist,” he said.

He warned that the government’s actions suggest an agenda to silence the opposition, pointing out that the delay in holding provincial council elections may stem from fears of losing, as already reflected in heavy losses suffered by the government in local government polls.