National Delimitation Committee finalises ward system

The National Delimitation Committee appointed to demarcate electoral boundaries (wards) in each Local Government body is now finalising the wards system after inquiring from the District Delimitation Committees whether they had adopted the given criteria when demarcating the wards and naming them, Secretary to the Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry R.A.A.K. Ranawake said.

"The National Delimitation Committee has completed the inquiries from 12 District Delimitation Committees to ascertain whether the committees had followed the criteria given by the Ministry and whether they had taken into account the opinion expressed by the people and the political parties when demarcating the wards", Ranwake said.

Kurunegala, Kalutara, Moneragala, Polonnaruwa, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Ratnapaura are among the 12 districts where inquiries have already been finalised. "We hope to complete the inquiring process by May 15 after convening all the District Delimitation committees", he said. The National Delimitation Committee was appointed after the Local Government Amendment (Elections) Bill was passed unanimously in Parliament.

The District Level Delimitation Committees appointed to assist the National Delimitation Committee are chaired by the District Secretary of each district.

These committees also comprise representatives from the Department of Elections, Provincial Ministry of the Local Government, the Department of Surveyor General, Department of Census and Statistics and a public officer nominated by the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government. Accordingly, 25 District Delimitation Committees have been appointed to assist the National Delimitation Committee and they were assigned to carry out the division and demarcation of boundaries of 334 Local Authority areas in 25 districts and to allocate numbers and names for each ward.