Sri Lanka's Local Government Ordinance to Be Amended

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 05, 2002

Sri Lanka's Local Government Ordinance to Be Amended

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Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Monday that amendments to the local government ordinance would be introduced soon to accommodate petitions and annual voting in village councils where election malpractice had taken place, The Island newspaper said Tuesday.

Speaking to the public after attending religious observances to mark the country's 54th Independence Day, the prime minister said a committee will be appointed with the participation of opposition parties to ensure that a free and fair local government election takes place while making recommendations to that effect.

Elections commissioner will be given full powers under the independent elections commission, said the report quoting the prime minister.

Wikcremesinghe also said that the government was looking for a political solution to end the long-running ethnic war between the government forces and the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in the north and east of the country by devolving power to minority Tamils.

Both the government and Tamil rebels are observing their unilateral ceasefire which started on the Christmas eve last year and an agreement on permanent truce is hopefully to be signed later this month by the two sides.

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