Anura Dissanayake wins Sri Lanka's presidential election
Colombo (PTI): Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday was declared winner of the Sri Lankan presidential election by the country's Election Commission after an unprecedented second round of counting of votes.
Dissanayake, 56, the leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party's broader front National People’s Power (NPP), defeated his closest rival Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe was eliminated in the first round after he failed to become within the top two in the vote list.
NPP said Dissanayake will take oath on Monday.
Earlier, the Election Commission ordered a second round of counting after no candidate secured over 50 per cent votes needed to be declared the winner of Saturday's election.
Dissanayake will be the country's 9th president.
No election in Sri Lanka has ever progressed to the second round of counting, as single candidates have always emerged as clear winners based on first-preference votes.
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Poll preparations for multiple Bengaluru Corporations within 4 months: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Mysuru, May 16 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said with the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act having come into effect, preparations will be made for polls to multiple municipal corporations to be created to manage the city within four months.
Shivakumar, who is also in charge of Bengaluru Development, said a process will be initiated soon regarding the reservation list and the creation of multiple municipal corporations.
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act allows for the creation of up to seven municipal corporations to manage the city, and there are indications that the government may decide to form three corporations.
The city has not had an elected municipal council since September 2020.
“We will initiate the process regarding the reservation list and division (of the city into multiple corporations) soon. We have to hold elections; there is no point in delaying them. We will make the necessary arrangements within four months,” Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said he will call an all-party meeting soon to seek suggestions on how to proceed with the division into multiple corporations.
“Taking everyone into confidence, we will move ahead, but it has been decided to hold elections as early as possible. We have to do it; there is no point in delaying. There was a plan to add new areas (to Greater Bengaluru), but that process would cause a delay, so we can add them later. Therefore, the notification has been issued with the area currently under the BBMP,” he added.
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, came into effect on May 15, and the new Greater Bengaluru Area will be limited to the area now covered by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), according to the notification.
However, all functionaries will continue to have the same powers and duties as conferred under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Act, 2020, until the new law is fully implemented.
Until multiple corporations are created, the BBMP will continue to operate under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which is expected to be constituted soon, official sources said.
The Act provides 120 days to establish the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, which was recently passed by both houses of the state legislature despite opposition from the BJP, proposes restructuring the BBMP by splitting it into a maximum of seven city corporations within the Greater Bengaluru Area.
It also provides for the constitution of a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) for coordination and supervision and sets 30-month terms for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
The GBA will be headed by the Chief Minister as the ex-officio chairperson, while the minister in charge of Bengaluru development will be the ex-officio vice-chairperson.
