Sri Lanka's election commission today told former president Mahinda Rajapaksa-backed Joint Opposition that it was not possible to register any new political party at the moment.
"They asked me about issues which may affect the registering of a new party, I told them currently it would not be possible due to local councils elections in Maritimepattu and Puthukuduyrippu," Mahinda Deshapriya, Chairman of the Elections Commission.
Under the Sri Lankan election laws no registrations of new political parties are accepted by the Elections Commission amidst a declaration of an election.
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The Mahinda Rajapaksa backers who call them the Joint Opposition (JO) want to form a new political party to challenge the President Maithripala Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
They are unhappy with Sirisena forming a unity government with the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP).
The Rajapaksa backers met the elections chief today to ask him to hold the local council elections for over 300 councils throughout the island.
"We expressed opposition to the continued denial by the government of people's right to vote," Dallas Alahapperuma, a JO member told reporters.
The local government minister Faiszer Musthapha maintains that election could only be held early next year after the conclusion of the delimitation work related to determining the wards in each council.
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