The Cabinet spokesman and Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said that the Provincial Council elections will be held after revising the electoral system while preserving the positive features of the proportional representation system.
Speaking to media at the weekly cabinet press briefing held at the Government Information Department on Tuesday (19), Alahapperuma said however he could not say exactly when the PC elections would be held.
With two months and few days to go until the end of this year, it is not possible to change the electoral system during that time, the Minister said.
He said having four electoral systems for the four political elections has caused a distortion and it has become an electoral system that provides jokes to the whole world. Therefore, even the President had recently stated that the electoral system should be changed, the Minister said.
“The Vision of Prosperity Policy Statement also states the need to change the electoral system. Provincial Council is a Council established with the aim of actively involving the people of the North and East who have made Tamil as their mother tongue in the political process. Therefore, there is a big problem regarding this electoral system in achieving these objectives.”
“The Provincial Council Elections Amendment Act No. 17 of 20217 was introduced by the previous government. That bill is a very conflicting bill. It needs to be resolved if an election is to be held.”
“Secondly, there are four modes – Presidential, Parliamentary, Provincial and Local Government – elections in our country. Sri Lanka will be used as one electorate in the presidential election. Parliamentary elections are entirely proportional. The Provincial Councils Amendment Act proposed a 50 percent proportional system and a 50 percent divisional system for the Provincial Council,” Minister Alahapperuma explained.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
