The Uva Provincial Council will be dissolved on Monday, a reliable government source said yesterday.

He said the term of office of the Uva PC was to end in September but the government had decided to conduct elections early expecting a resounding victory.

The UPFA had 25 members including four bonus seats; the UNP had seven and the JVP one member at the previous elections to the Uva PC on August 8, 2009.

The Badulla District has 609,966 registered voters and Moneragala District 332,764 making up a total of 942,730 eligible to vote at the upcoming polls to elect 33 members.

Under the provisions of the PC Electoral Act, nominations must be submitted within seven days from the date of dissolution while the elections have to be held within five to eight weeks after the last date for nominations.

Uva Governor Nanda Mathew told Daily Mirror that he was expecting a request from the Chief Minister Shashendra Rajapaksa at any moment calling for the dissolution of the Uva Provincial Council.

Meanwhile, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya commenting on the various media reports on the change in the number of members to be returned from each Administrative District said no official announcement had been released with regard to the matter so far. “The number of members to be elected from the Districts of Badulla and Moneragala will be announced officially either after the Council is disolved or before the relevant nomination notice is released,” Mr. Deshapriya said.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka