The National Election Commission members last week discussed the possibility of seeking judicial intervention to hold the long delayed Provincial Council elections.
The Commission which met on Monday had deliberated on this possibility but a senior official said the three Commissioners did not reach a final decision as yet to move the Supreme Court. One member of the Commission had joined the discussion via Skype as he was in Jaffna at the time.
The terms of six of the nine PCs expired four to 16 months ago and the functions of the Provincial bodies have been brought under the Provincial Governors whose jurisdiction did not permit the Provincial bodies to function fully.
The terms of two more PCs will expire in May this year and the term of the Uva Council will expire in September this year.
Among the many proposals to end the current stalemate are to dissolve the PCs that are already functioning and hold elections to all nine Councils together under the old preferential system. Some political parties including the UNP and the JVP have expressed mixed reactions to this proposal.
The Opposition parties, the SLPP and the UPFA have been clamouring for early PC elections, prior to the Presidential poll which is due before November this year.
The elections have been delayed as the process to demarcate new electoral wards under the proposed electoral system ran aground last year due to lack of support in Parliament.
President Maithripala Sirisena has vowed to hold the PC elections before the Presidential election. He renewed this pledge in Polonnaruwa yesterday.