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Displaced voters registration issue now goes to House consultative committee
Govt. backtracks on decision to pass Bill as urgent legislation
The Government has done a turnabout in its efforts to push through Parliament urgent legislation to allow for the registration of displaced voters prior to the upcoming elections to the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) and has instead decided to refer the Bill to a Consultative Committee of Parliament for further discussion.
Chief Government Whip Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said the decision to postpone the passing of the Bill was to give more time to the Opposition to discuss its contents with the Commissioner of Elections. “We want to pass the Bill but many Opposition legislators including the Leader of the Opposition said they wanted to clarify certain issues with the Commissioner of Elections so we decided to postpone the debate,” Minister Gunawardena told the Sunday Times.
However despite the last minute change of heart, the Government earlier said it was introducing the legislation as an urgent Bill, referring it directly to the Supreme Court for determination and then presenting it to the House on Thursday and taking it up for debate as well.
The Supreme Court ruled the Bill consistent with the Constitution and lauded it saying it contents are in keeping with some of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) which said displaced voters should not be disenfranchised on the grounds they have no permanent places of residence.
Earlier a request by the United National Party (UNP) for more time to discuss the Bill at a consultative committee of Parliament had been rejected, Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga said.“We were prepared to debate and allow the Bill to be passed but at the last minute the Government took a different turn without any explanation. The Government is trying to fool the people,” Mr.Amaratunga said.
Minister Gunawardena said there is no move to shelve the Bill but said it will not be taken up for debate this month. “Most probably the Bill will be debated and passed in July,” he said. The Registration of Electors (Special Provisions) Bill allows for a supplementary electoral list to be drawn up to include the names of internally displaced Persons (IDPs) from the north and east to enable them to register as voters.
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