Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will hold its first secret-ballot election on April 16, with officials from the Elections Department attending as observers at the board’s request. SLC’s two most powerful posts will, however, remain uncontested – Jayantha Dharmadasa, a former interim committee chairman, is set to become the president while incumbent secretary Nishantha Ranatunga will retain his position.
“This is the first time we are going to have a secret ballot, so we are seeking the assistance of the Elections Department,” Ashley de Silva, Sri Lanka Cricket’s acting chief executive officer, said. “They have given us guidance and advice but they will not be directly involved with the elections.”
De Silva added that the method was in accordance with the new amendments to the Sports Law. “The SLC constitution calls for a show of hands, as has been the practice over the years, but the new amendments to the Sports Law that has been gazetted states that elections should be held under a secret ballot,” he said. “The Sports Law supersedes the constitution of all sports bodies in the country.”
According to the amended Sports Law, those elected at Tuesday’s election will serve a two-year term instead of one, which was the case previously.
The nominations of both Dharmadasa and Ranatunga were challenged in court. The allegation brought against Dharmadasa was that his appointment to the position of president by the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket was unconstitutional. The Colombo District Cricket Association, which brought the litigation against him, wanted the date of the election postponed. However, the court has given the defendants time till April 20 to file their reply. The case against Ranatunga was dismissed by the court on the grounds of false evidence.
The two posts for vice-president will be contested by three candidates – K Mathivanan, Asanga Seneviratne and Mohan de Silva. The post of the treasurer will be contested between Nuski Mohamed and Eastman Narangoda, while the contest for the assistant secretary’s post will be between Priyantha Soysa, Bandula Dissanayake and Hirantha Perera. Ajitha Pasqual and Irwin Jayawardene will contest for the post of assistant treasurer.
There will also be contests for the following committees: tournament, umpires, sponsorship and tour-organising.