Sri Lankan parties brace for snap elections

, May 12: Two major political parties in

are gearing up for snap polls for provincial councils with freshly launched reorganisation drives.

Snap elections for three of the nine provincial councils are expected to take place after September this year, a year ahead of the expiration of their terms.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the dominant party in the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is to launch its reorganisation campaign from the north central district of Anuradhapura on Saturday.

"Party members would go from house to the house today and tomorrow in the Anuradhapura district. They would be educating people on the current political situation", Maithripala Sirisena, the SLFP General Secretary and the Minister of Health said.

Sirisena said that similar reorganisation drives would be conducted in the rest of the 21 electoral districts as well.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) leaders were in the northern district of Vavuniya on Friday to launch its reorganisation campaign.

"We are doing grassroots campaigning", Daya Gamage the UNP National Organiser said.

PTI