Appointment of new EC may disrupt upcoming LG polls, GL tells CC

Prof. G. L. Peiris, MP, yesterday (23) urged the Constitutional Council (CC) to delay the appointment of a new Election Commission (EC) until the conclusion of Local Government polls scheduled for March 09. The EC consists of five members.

Addressing the weekly Nidahas Janatha Sabhawa (NJS) briefing at Nawala, Prof. Peiris requested the 10-member CC headed by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena not to take action that would jeopardize the election.

The former External Affairs Minister made the appeal a few hours before Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera announced the first meeting of the CC on January 25 morning, the first gathering since the appointment of three non-members of Parliament as members of the CC.

Referring to the recent reports pertaining to alleged death threats directed at two EC members, K.P.P. Pathirana and S.B. Divaratne, Prof. Peiris advised the CC not to resort to unilateral actions.

Prof. Peiris discussed how a bid to replace the EC in terms of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution against the backdrop of what he called an unprecedented series of despicable attempts meant to force cancellation of the scheduled election.

Referring to Finance Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena’s affidavit to the Supreme Court, pertaining to the developing economic crisis, Prof. Peiris questioned the controversial position taken by the official.

Accusing the Finance Secretary of facilitating the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government strategy, aimed at somehow calling off the politically sensitive election, lawmaker Peiris asked whether he would take a similar stand in Nov. 2024 at the time of the Presidential Election, next year.

Declaring that the EC decision on the March 09 polls couldn’t be reversed, under any circumstances, Prof. Peiris alleged that the Treasury Secretary’s affidavit to the SC was the seventh failed attempt to derail the ongoing election process.

The former law professor and ex-minister said that the government challenged the announcement of LG polls date by EC Chairman Nimal Punchihewa. The government found fault with EC Chairman Attorney-at-Law Punchihewa for not having all members with him when he made the announcement.

Prof. Peiris emphasized that there was no such stipulation that all members should be present in place when the date of a particular election was announced.’

The SLPP rebel said that both the UNP and the SLPP, struggling on the political front, feared facing the electorate as they realized the growing public anger at the way the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa administration addressed issues at hand.

Prof. Peiris asked whether the incumbent government consulted the Finance Ministry before the appointment of 39 State Ministers last September and two Cabinet ministers recently. If the economy was in such a precarious state, why on earth the incumbent administration appointed State Ministers who did nothing, Prof. Peiris queried. The Constitution allows the appointment of a 30-member Cabinet and 40 non-Cabinet Ministers. President Wickremesinghe has so far appointed a 20-Cabinet and 39 non-Cabinet ministers.

Prof. Peiris said that a thorough inquiry was required in the wake of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s denial of Public Administration Ministry Secretary Neil Bandara Hapuhinna’s claim that he directed Divisional Secretaries not to accept deposits from political parties on the instructions of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Hapuhinna is on record as having said he received instructions in this regard from Cabinet Secretary, Donald Fernando, Prof. Peiris said, demanding the exposure of those who made an abortive bid to subvert the electoral process.

The government couldn’t maintain silence on this issue, Prof. Peiris said. The UNP and the SLPP realized that their defeat at LG polls would influence the countrywide campaign for early General Election, the SLPP National List MP said.

In terms of the Constitution, the President can dissolve Parliament in March this year.

Referring to what he called the landmark Supreme Court verdict on the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, Prof. Peiris reminded those who failed in their responsibilities, for whatever reasons, would be held responsible.