President summons emergency Cabinet meeting

 Monday, 16 December 2013 

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has summoned an emergency Cabinet meeting this evening. The meeting will be chaired by the President.

It is learnt that the new amended Local Government Bodies Act is to be discussed at the meeting. Several Rajapaksa loyalists have informed the President that the new piece of legislation has caused a problem to the governing party and that there is a need to amend it again.

President Rajapaksa has also agreed to discuss the matter following the string of defeats experienced by the governing party in 15 local government bodies when the 2014 budgets were taken up for voting.

SLFP General Secretary, Minister Maithripala Sirisena has said that the government will amend the legislation on local government bodies in order to address the current crisis faced by the governing party.

It is also learnt that the Cabinet of Ministers will discuss the holding of Western and Southern Provincial Council elections early next year.