Sri Lanka puts off election indefinitely due to coronavirus

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has indefinitely postponed general elections scheduled at the end of next month due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Even if the WHO says Sri Lanka is free of this virus tomorrow, we will not be able to conduct the election on April 25,” the chairman of the election commission Mahinda Deshapriya said on Thursday, adding that Sri Lanka should focus on eradicating the spread of the virus in the country at this point.

The statement came just two days after Sri Lanka’s health authorities told the Commission that “there is no serious situation in the country to postpone the election”.

Sr Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had been hoping the elections would give his party a two-thirds majority in parliament, allowing it to change the constitution and secure him wider powers.

Earlier this month, Sri Lanka president Gotabaya Rajapaksa advocated the early dissolution of Parliament and told South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders last weekend that “the elections will be held as planned”.

Sri Lanka’s opposition leader Sajith Premadasa hailed the prospect of calling for a general election in the midst of the outbreak and called for national unity to defeat the virus.

“What they must actually do is to suspend this election and find a solution to this corona issue. Please consider these facts and prioritise the lives of the voters over the two-thirds majority,” local media reported

He also urged the Sri Lankan government to declare the dissolve parliament and spend the money allocated for the election to fight the coronavirus.

“We can overcome this challenge. Do not be fooled with fake and unverified news. Do not panic. Act intelligently.,” Premadasa said. “We must all be united when facing this crisis, and determined to overcome this challenge.”

Sri Lanka earlier this week banned all incoming flights for two weeks, and imposed a curfew in some areas to rein in the spread of the disease. There have been over 53 confirmed cases of COVID-19 detected in Sri Lanka so far.