President Mahinda Rajapaksa has informed Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshipriya last afternoon to look into the possibilities of postponing the local government elections in Galle and Matara and to take appropriate action.

The President has asked Minister Dullas Alahapperuma to create disturbances in the Matara municipal council area and parliamentarian Nishantha Mutuhettigama to create disturbances in the Galle municipal council area in order to ensure that the environment is not conducive to hold an election.

The two government members have immediately organized vehicle parades in the respective areas. They have then got several leaders from independent groups contesting in the areas to lodge complaints with the assistant elections commissioners in the two districts.

The leaders of the two independent groups have told the assistant elections commissioner that the vehicle parades would have a significant impact on the outcome of the local government elections.

However, it is learnt that the vehicles parades organized with about 50 vehicles in the Matara town and 35 vehicles in the Galle town have been a failure. Therefore, neither the UNP nor the JVP have complained to the assistant elections commissioner about the matter.

Meanwhile, the Elections Commissioner has told the media that the final decision on holding elections in Galle and Matara would be decided after the meeting to analyze the progress of the elections since the vehicle parades have caused an obstacle to carrying out an independent election campaign.

A senior government minister said that the President is disturbed after hearing intelligence reports that the UNP was leading the poll campaign in Galle and Matara in the South, which is considered the fiefdom of the Rajapksas.