27. Amendment of section 66A of the principal enactment

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

Section 66A of the principal enactment is hereby amended—

(a)

in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) by the substitution for the words “any other person who is qualified under section 8 of this Ordinance to be elected”, of the words “any other candidate of the First

Nomination Paper or the Additional Nomination

Paper other than the candidates who have been elected or are not disqualified to be a member under section 9;”;

(b)

in paragraph (b) of subsection (1)—

(i)

by the substitution for the words “a person to fill such vacancy from among those persons nominated by such recognized political party or independent group under”, of the words “a candidate to fill such vacancy from candidates of the First Nomination Paper or the

Additional Nomination Paper other than the candidates who have been elected or are not disqualified to be a member under section 9

in terms of; and

(ii)

by the substitution for the words, “Municipal

Councils Ordinance (Chapter 252) or paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 5 of the Urban Councils Ordinance (Chapter 255)”, of the words, “Municipal Councils

Local Authorities Elections

Ordinance (Chapter 252) or paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 5 of the Urban

Councils Ordinance (Chapter 255)”; and

(iii)

by the repeal of the words starting from “as the case may be, and where no person remains to be so nominated” to the words “Ordinance to fill such vacancy.” and the substitution therefor of the following:—

“as the case may be:

Provided that, where a vacancy occurs in the case of a woman member of a Local

Authority, then such vacancy shall be filled only by the nomination of a woman candidate form the First Nomination Paper or the

Additional Nomination Paper other than the women candidates who have been elected or are not disqualified to be a member under section 9.”;

(c)

by the repeal of paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of that section;

(d)

by the insertion immediately after paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of that section of the following subsection:—

“(1A)

Where no person remains to be nominated to fill a vacancy referred to in subsection (1)

from the candidates of the First Nomination

Paper and the Additional Nomination Paper, the returning officer appointed for the electoral area in which such Local Authority is situated shall request within thirty days of the occurrence of the vacancy, the secretary to the recognized political party or the leader of the independent group to which the member whose vacancy occurred belonged, to nominate within thirty days from such request, any other person who is qualified under section 8 of this Ordinance to fill that vacancy in the ward in which the vacancy has occurred:

Provided that, where a vacancy occurs in the case of a woman member of a local authority, then such vacancy shall be filled only by the nomination of any other woman who is qualified under section 8 of this ordinance.”.

Read on from s 28