The Hon. Sarath Kumara, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Question to the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government:

¶ 02 PUBLIC SERVANTS ELECTED TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES: LEGAL STATUS

¶ 03 (a) Will he state— (i) whether public servants can contest as candidates at a Local Authorities Election as per the Local Authorities Election Law of Sri Lanka; (ii) whether he is aware that the public officers entitled to political rights are provided unpaid leave while the public officers who are not so entitled must resign from service for contesting; (iii) if a public officer is elected to the position of Mayor/Chairman of a local authority, whether he/she is allowed to engage in the government job that he/she held prior to the election while holding that position; (iv) the legal status regarding that; (v) whether he is aware that the Chairpersons of the Madulla and Siyambalanduwa Pradeshiya Sabhas elected at the 2018 local authorities election received both the salaries as Chairpersons and from the government job during the period they held the office of Chairperson; (vi) whether they have a legal right to do so; (vii) if they have received both salaries, the actions that have been taken in this regard; and (viii) if not, the reasons for it? (b) If not, why?