Minor Parties To Object
By Indika Sri Aravinda
Minor political parties have objected to moves to introduce electoral reforms before the next general elections and are threatening legal action.
Party leaders and representatives of 12 political parties are to meet today (Sunday) to discuss and take a collective decision on the proposal.
Most of the 12 political parties are against the proposal to abolish the preferential voting system and replace it with the First Past the Post (FPP) voting system.
Speaking to The Sunday Leader, the leader of the New Left Front, DrWickremabahuKarunaratne said that Democratic People’s Front (DPF) leader Mano Ganeshan, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauf Hakeem, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) member M.A. Sumanthiran as well as politicians Asath Sally and RizadBathiudeen are expected to attend the meeting in Wellawatte today.
DrKarunaratne said that if the government insists on bringing in electoral reforms through the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, they will contest it in the Supreme Court or even go before an international court.
Democratic People’s Front (DPF) leader and National Executive Council member Mano Ganeshan says the minorities and minor parties in Sri Lanka feel betrayed over moves to introduce electoral reforms before the next Parliament elections. He recalled that parties representing Tamil and Muslim people in Sri Lanka were against abolishing the executive presidency.
However, they changed their stand in order to work with other political parties and civil groups who wanted the executive presidency abolished.
“We understood and agreed to play with the rest. What is happening today is pathetic. We feel betrayed. The majority parties and forces fail to understand the sentiments of the minority parties. The current PR electoral system is the best system that has paved the way not only for minority parties but also for the minor parties. We agree on the shortcomings of the current system. They have to be rectified. But such rectification should not lead to large blunders in haste,” he said.
The DPF called on all those who are campaigning for electoral reforms to let the next election to be held under the current system. “Any new system needs to address our fears.
We need further discussions. Besides the voters need to be given reasonable time to understand the new system. We cannot agree to the private agendas of certain big parties that want reforms to suit their own ends. We will seek legal intervention to stop any unilateral actions on this subject,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) noted that the Elections Commissioner, at a Party Leaders’ meeting held at the Temple Trees, suggested 150 electorates, 10 Multi-Member seats and 75 PR and 15 on the National List as part of the electoral reforms. Accordingly there will be 250 Parliamentary seats.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has suggested 160 electorate, 8 multi member seats and the balance on PR. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress believes that any electoral reform should not affect the ‘inclusive democracy’, which is fundamental in good governance.
“Any electoral system, which takes away or weakens the franchise rights of people presently protected by the constitution, cannot be passed without a referendum, as it affects Article 3 of the Constitution,” the SLMC said.
