• Cites disaster spending and legal complications for delay

General Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tilvin Silva said it would not be possible to hold Provincial Council (PC) elections this year (2026).He made the remarks on 23 May after the opening of the National People’s Power (NPP) coordination office in the Jaffna District.Responding to questions raised by media as to whether India had exerted pressure on Sri Lanka to conduct PC elections soon, he rejected the claim and said there was no such pressure from the Indian Government.He said funds had initially been allocated through the recent Budget to conduct the elections. However, he added that following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, the Government had to divert around Rs. 500 billion towards disaster relief and recovery efforts.

Silva also said complications linked to the existing legal framework governing PC elections had contributed to the delay. He noted that a parliamentary committee has now been appointed to decide under which legal structure the elections should be held.