News
Electoral Reforms: Minor, Minority Parties major stumbling block to consensus
Political parties were struggling yesterday to reach consensus on the proposed Electoral Reforms with diverse opinions presented to the Cabinet for consideration.
All main political party representatives, barring the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, Ceylon Workers’ Congress and the Upcountry People’s Front, met with the Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya and representatives of the Legal Draftsman’s Dept at Temple Trees for an agreement on the proposals.
One of the disagreements was the minor and minority parties contention that the proposals would affect the interests of the minorities.
As a counter, 20 minor and minority parties have decided to submit their own proposals for consideration. It is based on a 50:50 mixed system of the First Past the Post (FPP) system and the Preferential Representations (PR) system.
The minority parties were also of the view that the de-limitation process in the Northern Province should be frozen due to the displacement of persons.
However, in the South, they proposed that the de-limitation process be carried out to create more multi-member seats to accommodate minorities.
The minority parties affirmed that, if there was disagreement to their proposal, they would not support the Electoral Reforms in Parliament.
However, at yesterday’s meeting, the main focus was on the proposals submitted to the Cabinet under which 255 members will be returned to Parliament.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the Sunday Times that political parties which met yesterday wanted more time to consider the proposals.
“Even the SLFP has agreed to consider the proposals,” he added.
Mr. Rajapakshe said he was confident that the parties will reach consensus on the proposals.
MP Dilan Perera, who represented the SLFP, said they submitted further amendments to the proposals put forward by the party earlier.
“We hope they are acceptable to all parties. We have to clear the doubts of the minority parties,” he added.
TNA representative MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that the delimitation commission for the North and East should be frozen, thereby preventing a re-demarcation of electoral boundaries.
Minority parties are expected to meet today and tomorrow to finalise their proposals which is expected to be gazetted on the same day, if consensus is reached.
Among the other highlights of the proposed Electoral Reforms put forward by President Maithripala Sirisena to the Cabinet are that, of the 255 members to be elected to Parliament, 165 members should be elected at electoral level under the FPP system, 66 members under the District PR system, and 24 from the National List.
The proposed system replaces the current PR system with the FPP system.