Colombo, June 18: local elections that would test the political tolerance of Tamil Tiger rebels in their stronghold in Sri Lanka's northeast could be delayed following a supreme court decision today.
The court ruled that a government motion calling for fresh nominations of candidates in the polls, scheduled for June, would require a two-thirds majority in Sri Lanka's parliament - a margin the government would be unlikely to secure. The rebels signed a cease-fire with the government in February 2002 that halted their 19-year separatist war. After years of opposition, the rebels agreed in April to elections being held across the northeast, where most of sri Lanka's 3.2 million Tamil minority live. That was seen as a major breakthrough in peace talks, during which the rebels also gave up their demand for an independent Tamil state in return for promises of greater autonomy. The government wanted to call for new nominations to accommodate candidates in the elections who would be supported by the rebels.

The polls would elect three municipal councils, seven urban councils and 61 regional councils. The elections were originally scheduled for last year but were postponed after Tamil political parties requested the government first enable thousands of Tamils displaced by the war to return to their villages so they could vote.

Bureau Report