US senate committee urges local poll without delay

The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has urged Sri Lanka’s government to hold its local government elections without delay even as the cash-strapped island nation awaits an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout to recover from its worst currency crisis in decades.

The standing committee of the US senate tweeted that delaying the election would be undemocratic.

Committee chairman Bob Menendez said any effort to take away the voice of the people of Sri Lanka would be a direct violation of citizens’ rights.