Vacated PC seats to be filled after MPs take oath

The appointing of new Provincial Councillors to fill the seats left vacant by more than 50 Provincial Council members including 3 Chief Ministers who contested and won at the recent parliamentary elections, is scheduled to take place after the new Parliament is sworn in.

Uva Province Chief Minister Harin Fernando, Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga and North Western Province Chief Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara contested the General Election on August 17 and were elected to the Parliament.

The most number of Provincial Councillors to secure a seat in the Parliament are from the Western Provincial Council with 13 PC members in total being elected at the polls.

Six members from the Uva Provincial Council, 7 members from the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, 6 members each from Central and North Western Provincial Councils, 5 each from Southern and Eastern Provincial Councils and 2 each from North Central and Northern Provincial Councils contested and won seats in the Parliament.

After the new Members of Parliament (MPs) are sworn in, the Elections Commissioner would appoint new Provincial Councillors to fill the vacant seats using the preference vote list of the previous Provincial Council election.