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Uncertainty over timing of PC elections
View(s):Uncertainty hovers over the prospects of early Provincial Council elections, while Parliament prepares to conduct an adjournment debate on this subject on July 6. The debate will focus on the electoral system under which the polls should be conducted. While the Government wants it under a changed electoral system, smaller parties are strongly opposed to the move.
The division surfaced at a meeting Speaker Karu Jayasuriya held this week. Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha was also present. Minister Musthapa told political party representatives that President Maithripala Sirisena was of the view that the upcoming PC polls should be held under the new mixed electoral system — similar to the one used for local council elections in February.
In keeping with President’s view, the Minister said the Delimitation Committee (DC) report which was submitted to Parliament would be taken up for debate shortly to hold elections under new mixed system. The approval of the commission report with a two-thirds majority is required to hold elections under the new system where new provincial boundaries have been demarcated.
Political parties, including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), opposed the idea of holding the polls under the new system and urged the minister to go for the old system without postponing elections any longer.
The UNP also expressed similar opinion, noting that many procedural steps needed to be taken to hold the PC polls under the new system and that the whole process would take a long time. The other minor parties alleged the proposal to hold polls under the new system was linked to an ulterior motive to postpone the elections further.