Sri Lanka will hold the local council polls on March 9, the country’s election commission announced on Saturday, ending speculation that the election may be postponed again due to the prevailing economic crisis in the country.&nbsp;The local election was earlier postponed by six months as the country was gripped by unprecedented economic turmoil which triggered a political crisis and led to the ouster of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The officials of the election commission announced that the local polls for the 340 councils in the island nation will take place on March 9.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/no-end-in-sight-for-sri-lankas-crisis-as-unemployment-rate-climbs-govt-cuts-budget-spending-553487">No end in sight for Sri Lanka's crisis as unemployment rate climbs, govt cuts&nbsp;budget spending&nbsp;</a>

The opposition parties have been pressing for the local election, saying it will give people a chance to show displeasure over the government’s handling of the economic crisis.

The government, however, delayed the local polls and said the time is not suitable to hold the election given the ongoing economic crisis in the country.

The election process will reportedly cost Rs 10 billion which would put additional pressure on the already lean state finances.

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) controls a majority of councils after having won the last election held in 2018.

However, the party is in disarray since July when its leader and former President Rajapaksa was ousted in a popular uprising. It has suffered defections with members forming other electoral alliances.

After Rajapaksa’s ouster, Sri Lanka’s Parliament elected then-acting oresident and six-time former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new head of the State. He had the backing of the SLPP, the largest bloc in the 225-member parliament.

The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is confident that they would win a majority of councils given the ruling party’s seeming unpopularity.

WATCH | Gravitas Global Headlines: Sri Lanka economic crisis | Eurozone inflation

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A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the conduct of the election in the backdrop of the economic crisis.

The Sri Lankan police said on Friday they have initiated an investigation into threats received by two members of the election commission, warning them to resign.

Sri Lanka is going through its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948, triggered by a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves.

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Sri Lanka will hold the local council polls on March 9, the country’s election commission announced on Saturday, ending speculation that the election may be postponed again due to the prevailing economic crisis in the country.

Sri Lanka will hold the local council polls on March 9, the country’s election commission announced on Saturday, ending speculation that the election may be postponed again due to the prevailing economic crisis in the country. The local election was earlier postponed by six months as the country was gripped by unprecedented economic turmoil which triggered a political crisis and led to the ouster of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The officials of the election commission announced that the local polls for the 340 councils in the island nation will take place on March 9. ALSO READ | No end in sight for Sri Lanka's crisis as unemployment rate climbs, govt cuts budget spending The opposition parties have been pressing for the local election, saying it will give people a chance to show displeasure over the government’s handling of the economic crisis. The government, however, delayed the local polls and said the time is not suitable to hold the election given the ongoing economic crisis in the country. The election process will reportedly cost Rs 10 billion which would put additional pressure on the already lean state finances. The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) controls a majority of councils after having won the last election held in 2018. However, the party is in disarray since July when its leader and former President Rajapaksa was ousted in a popular uprising. It has suffered defections with members forming other electoral alliances. After Rajapaksa’s ouster, Sri Lanka’s Parliament elected then-acting oresident and six-time former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new head of the State. He had the backing of the SLPP, the largest bloc in the 225-member parliament. The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is confident that they would win a majority of councils given the ruling party’s seeming unpopularity. WATCH | Gravitas Global Headlines: Sri Lanka economic crisis | Eurozone inflation A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the conduct of the election in the backdrop of the economic crisis. The Sri Lankan police said on Friday they have initiated an investigation into threats received by two members of the election commission, warning them to resign. Sri Lanka is going through its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948, triggered by a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Sri Lanka to finally conduct its local council elections on March 9

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe joined the country's Buddhists to mark the festival of Vesak in low key celebrations on Saturday (May 18) amid heightened religious tensions following the deadly Easter Sunday attacks that killed more than 250 people.

Sri Lanka's PM joins Buddhists marking sombre Vesak after Easter attacks

Sri Lanka's economic and political stability has been affected due to infighting between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed on Saturday.

"This is because the president and prime minister are clashing. They clash in the open. As long as instability prevails no investor will come," Rajapaksa said.

He was referring to the Sri Lankan rupee hitting an all-time low this week against the US dollar, reaching near the 170 mark. "When we left (in 2015) the dollar was 131.40," the former president said.

As a result of the rupee's depreciation, Sri Lanka's external debt had jumped, he said. "In 2014 (his last year) the external debt was Rs 7,391 billion or 71 per cent of the GDP. Now it has risen to 87 per cent. Interest payment was Rs 443 billion and now it has risen to Rs 820 billion, almost doubled".

Rajapaksa said if he was in power he would have better managed the currency issue. He charged that the government has run short of ideas as to how to manage the economy.

"Hold elections and give us power we will show you how. I have proved myself before," he said.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said earlier in the week that the government could have sold its reserves to defend the rupee if "not for the humongous Rajapaksa debt trap".

He said the loan repayments both in 2019 and 2020 would be USD 4.5 billion each and 80 per cent of these are loans taken during Rajapaksa's term.

Samaraweera claimed the Sri Lankan rupee had depreciated by just 7.4 per cent in the first nine months of the year, while the Indian rupee had depreciated by over 13 per cent.

Sri Lanka's economic and political stability has been affected due to infighting between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed on Saturday.

Sri Lanka's economic and political stability has been affected due to infighting between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed on Saturday. "This is because the president and prime minister are clashing. They clash in the open. As long as instability prevails no investor will come," Rajapaksa said. He was referring to the Sri Lankan rupee hitting an all-time low this week against the US dollar, reaching near the 170 mark. "When we left (in 2015) the dollar was 131.40," the former president said. As a result of the rupee's depreciation, Sri Lanka's external debt had jumped, he said. "In 2014 (his last year) the external debt was Rs 7,391 billion or 71 per cent of the GDP. Now it has risen to 87 per cent. Interest payment was Rs 443 billion and now it has risen to Rs 820 billion, almost doubled". Rajapaksa said if he was in power he would have better managed the currency issue. He charged that the government has run short of ideas as to how to manage the economy. "Hold elections and give us power we will show you how. I have proved myself before," he said. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said earlier in the week that the government could have sold its reserves to defend the rupee if "not for the humongous Rajapaksa debt trap". He said the loan repayments both in 2019 and 2020 would be USD 4.5 billion each and 80 per cent of these are loans taken during Rajapaksa's term. Samaraweera claimed the Sri Lankan rupee had depreciated by just 7.4 per cent in the first nine months of the year, while the Indian rupee had depreciated by over 13 per cent.

Sri Lanka economic instability caused by govt infighting: Mahinda Rajapaksa

The grievances of minority Tamils in Sri Lanka can only be addressed through a federal system of governance and the merger of north and eastern provinces, northern province chief minister CV Wignewswaran has said. 
 
Wigneswaran said he had conveyed this to the Colombo-based ambassadors including those from the European Union during his recent engagements with them. 
 
The Tamil issue should not be seen by the government from the view point of the nationalist extremists in the south, Wigneswaran said in Jaffna yesterday. 
 
Wigneswaran said that the only solution to the ethnic problem of Tamils is to merge the north and the east and establish a federal government system. 
 
Wigneswaran who represents the main Tamil Party,Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was elected with over 80 per cent of the vote in the northern provincial council election held in 2013. 
 
He said the TNA would not be satisfied with any accountability mechanism that does not contain foreign judges. 
 
Sri Lanka government has opted for a domestic mechanism as articulated by the President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. 
 
It called for an international probe on alleged human rights abuses blamed both on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government troops during the final phase of the conflict which ended in May 2009. 
(PTI)

'The solution to the ethnic problem is to merge the northern and eastern province' said northern province chief minister CV Wignewswaran

The grievances of minority Tamils in Sri Lanka can only be addressed through a federal system of governance and the merger of north and eastern provinces, northern province chief minister CV Wignewswaran has said. Wigneswaran said he had conveyed this to the Colombo-based ambassadors including those from the European Union during his recent engagements with them. The Tamil issue should not be seen by the government from the view point of the nationalist extremists in the south, Wigneswaran said in Jaffna yesterday. Wigneswaran said that the only solution to the ethnic problem of Tamils is to merge the north and the east and establish a federal government system. Wigneswaran who represents the main Tamil Party,Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was elected with over 80 per cent of the vote in the northern provincial council election held in 2013. He said the TNA would not be satisfied with any accountability mechanism that does not contain foreign judges. Sri Lanka government has opted for a domestic mechanism as articulated by the President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It called for an international probe on alleged human rights abuses blamed both on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government troops during the final phase of the conflict which ended in May 2009. (PTI)

Minority Tamils in Sri Lanka need a federal system of governance