Sri Lanka's top election body announced on Wednesday that it will accept nominations from January 18 to 21 for the local council polls, which have been postponed since March amidst the prevailing economic crisis.
Notices calling for nominations for 340 local government bodies were also released by district secretaries on Wednesday.
The nominations would be accepted between January 18 and 21, the National Election Commission said. A date for the polls would be announced a week thereafter.
The elections for local councils in the country have been postponed since March last year as the government grappled with the economic crisis and the political upheaval which led to street protests.
Sri Lanka's local government elections have been mired in controversy with Opposition parties accusing the government of delaying the polls because the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) fears an embarrassing defeat.
The announcement of nomination dates came as Opposition parties expressed doubts over the government's intention to hold the election.
“The government is trying their best not to hold it. But a postponement can only be done through a referendum," GL Peiris, an opposition parliamentarian, told reporters.