ELECTION DATE CHANGED (99 Mar 17)
The commissioner of elections has changed the date of elections to the five provincial councils in the western, central, north central, sabaragamuwa and uva provinces to the 6th of April. Following the supreme court decision permitting the commissioner he convened a meeting of the secretaries of the political parties before changing the date. All the parties except the Mahasammatha Bhoomiputhra Party have agreed to change the date to the 6th of April.
However there is mounting pressure against this decision as the 6th will affect the Sinhala new year as the Atawaka of the month of Bak. Some Buddhist organisations met at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress on Monday the 15th to discuss this matter. It is expected that the organisations will take legal action against the decision of the commissioner of elections.