Opposition members of a parliamentary select committee have boycotted its tenth meeting, citing insufficient progress on long-delayed Provincial Council elections despite available policy solutions and a government manifesto commitment.
Four Opposition Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Provincial Council Elections boycotted the committee's tenth meeting on September 10, citing frustration with the pace and seriousness of efforts to advance Provincial Council elections. The boycotting MPs—Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Mano Ganesan, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, and Nizam Kariapper—stated that the committee has failed to produce meaningful progress despite ten meetings.
Speaking for the group, MP Rasamanickam noted that practical frameworks for holding the elections already exist. The Election Commission has proposed conducting elections under the existing proportional representation system with a guarantee of 25% women's representation. Additionally, a Private Members' Bill on Provincial Council election procedures authored by Rasamanickam is already before Parliament and could provide the legislative foundation if approved by a parliamentary majority.
The Opposition members highlighted that the National People's Power government committed in its 2024 Presidential Election Manifesto to holding Provincial Council and Local Government elections within one year of taking office, citing page 128 of the document. Provincial Councils have operated without elected representatives for several years, they noted, denying citizens democratic representation at that administrative level.
Rasamanickam stated that "political will" rather than further deliberation is needed to move forward, and called for the government and committee to establish a concrete timeline for elections. He warned that if the committee fails to demonstrate serious commitment, the four Opposition members would take "a very serious decision," though he declined to specify what that action would entail.