COLOMBO - Sri Lanka is planning to hold two local elections in the north of the country which will mark the first attempt to restore political administration in the region after the defeat of Tamil rebels, officials said Thursday. Elections for two northern local councils have been fixed for August 8, the commissioner of elections announced.Polls will be held for the municipal council in Jaffna, 397 kilometres north of the capital, and the urban council in Vavuniya, 257 kilometres north of the capital, after a gap of 11 years. The government and the main opposition have fielded candidates for the elections while a former pro-rebel party known as the Tamil National Alliance has also put forward candidates.
The move to conduct elections is seen as the first step towards restoring full political and civil administration in the region which has been affected by fighting for the last 30 years.