Sri Lanka has announced that local government polls will be held before the end of February.
These will be the first nationwide elections since the widespread protests which took place throughout 2022. The local government polls had previously been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe came to power through a parliamentary vote to replace former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. While the parliamentary vote was backed by Rajapaksa's SLPP party, Wickremesinghe does not have popular mandate.
During 2022 Wickremesinghe came under fire for ordering crackdowns against anti-government protesters.
Wickremesinghe also attempted to halt the polls, claiming that the bankrupt island cannot afford to hold elections at this time.
A statement put out by the Election Commission stated that nominations for the over 8,000 councillor positions would be open from January 18 to 21, after which the vote must be held within 28 days.
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