The Sri Lankan Government has informed the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) that Provincial Council (PC) elections will be held only after the completion of the ongoing delimitation process. This assurance was conveyed in a written response to the OHCHR’s latest report on Sri Lanka’s human rights situation, which flagged the prolonged delay in holding PC elections under the 13th Amendment—last conducted in 2014.
Delimitation is a time consuming process.
“In May 2025, the Government made arrangements to hold the local government elections which were scheduled for 2022. The Government plans to hold provincial council elections once the delimitation process is completed,” the response stated.
However, the Government’s position has drawn criticism from opposition figures and civil society, who point to repeated local assurances that PC elections would be held early under the existing proportional representation (PR) system. Former MP M.A. Sumanthiran, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), questioned the credibility of these promises, noting the contradiction between domestic statements and the message conveyed to the OHCHR.
“Minister and Deputy Minister all give assurances locally that PC elections will be held early under the current PR system, [but] a contrary message is sent,” Sumanthiran wrote, referencing the Government’s official stance to the UN body.
The issue has gained renewed attention following India’s call at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC60) for Sri Lanka to expedite PC elections, seen as a key component of democratic governance and devolution under the 13th Amendment. The Government’s insistence on completing delimitation first has raised concerns about further delays and the credibility of its commitments to both domestic and international stakeholders.