SLC elections in January next year, confirms sports minister

SLC elections in January next year, confirms sports minister: Sri Lanka’s sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has said that elections for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will be formally held in January 2016. SLC has been assisted by a nine-member interim committee, led by former cricketer Sidath Wettimuny, since April 1, 2015.

Speaking at an event at the Pallekele stadium, Jayasekera said: “Elections will be held in January next year, and those eligible could contest and get elected. Those elected to power to this prestigious body will have the challenge of generating their own finances to fund the ongoing projects for the future undertaken by the present interim administration.”

The interim committee was formed because the posts held by the then existing office-bearers, led by president Jayantha Dharmadasa, had become futile and nullified – the laws governing all sports bodies in the country need yearly elections to be held on or before March 31 but SLC’s elections were delayed until the end of April due to the 2015 World Cup, which ended on March 29.

In April, the ICC announced that the appointment of an interim committee at SLC was a violation of the ICC’s constitution. As such, it had placed certain sanctions on SLC, including holding payments due to the board in escrow, and suspending SLC’s voting rights at ICC meetings. The ICC had previously instigated SLC to hold elections by October, but this is understood to have been a soft deadline.