Cricket
Madushka Balasuriya 6y

SLC elections to be held on May 31

Cricket

Sri Lanka Cricket's board elections will be held on May 31 after the country's sports ministry gave its go-ahead following consultation with the Attorney General's department.

SLC elections had initially been announced for May 19, but were postponed on April 27 on technical grounds. SLC contested that they had received permission from previous Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera to appoint an election committee at an Executive Committee meeting, but new Sports Minister Faiszer Mustapha insisted on following constitutional protocol, which dictates that such an appointment requires the approval of the general membership at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

As such SLC called for an EGM on May 19. However, with the SLC constitution mandating a 40-day period between calling an election and holding one at an Annual General Meeting, elections could only be held in June at the earliest. With the present board's term ending on May 31, this would have resulted in an interim committee being appointed until the elections. While in reality this would have likely seen the present Executive Committee remain in charge in the guise of an interim committee, it would have stripped them of the power to pass annual accounts at an AGM - a pressing concern for SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala.

SLC therefore petitioned the sports ministry to hold elections on May 31 or at an earlier date, citing the fact that the nomination deadline had shut on April 27. With no new nominations being accepted, SLC felt the 40-day waiting period could be waived - an assessment the sports ministry eventually agreed with.

It is expected that two camps headed by former SLC office bearers Nishantha Ranatunga and Jayantha Dharmadasa will contest against the incumbent board headed by Sumathipala.

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