Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-08-29

Amendment to the Municipal Councils Ordinance, Urban Councils Ordinance and the Pradeshiya Sabha Act

- The Local Authorities Elections Ordinance (Amendment) Bill incorporating provisions on the new system of electing Members for the local government authorities, was passed in Parliament recently. Concurrently to the above, in determining the number of Members of Local Authorities to be elected, the existing legal provision has to be amended to provide for returning a further additional number of Members not exceeding 40% of the members due to be elected on ward basis, from the list, at divisional level.

The proposal made by Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, to amend section 5 of the Municipal Councils Ordinance, section 5 of the Urban Councils Ordinance and section 4 of the Pradeshiya Sabha Act, as amended by the Local Authorities (Special Provisions) Act, No.21 of 2012 providing for same, was approved by the Cabinet.