Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa says there is no shortage of funds to conduct the Provincial Council (PC) elections and that the Government is prepared to hold the polls once the existing legal barriers are resolved through Parliament.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing, the Minister stated that even if financial issues arise, the required funds could be allocated through a supplementary estimate.
Responding to a question regarding a statement made by JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva that funds allocated for the PC elections had been diverted for disaster relief, Jayatissa said there was no funding crisis and suggested Silva may have meant something else.
“The Government’s objective is to hold the Provincial Council elections as soon as possible. The NPP Government has already conducted three elections within eight months. There is no issue regarding funds,” he said.
He further noted that the main obstacle to holding the elections remains the unresolved legal issues and stressed that the polls could be conducted once Parliament addresses those barriers.
