News
New look at electoral reforms: 250 seats
- Polls chief to present package to party leaders tomorrow
- 20th Amendment after consensus is reached
- 140 on FPP, 80 PR and 30 National List
New electoral reforms where the number of seats in Parliament will be increased to 250 from the existing 225 will be explained to party leaders tomorrow by Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya. The new package will see the election to 140 seats through the First-Past-the-Post system, 80 through a District proportional representation system and 30 seats from the National List.
An Elections Department source said the lines on which the new reforms would be carried out were to be placed for study at tomorrow’s meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The source said the carving out of the 140 new electorates would get under way only after finality was reached. After they are studied, party leaders would meet again on April 6 to take a decision.
The UPFA parliamentary group will also meet tomorrow afternoon to study the same reforms package Commissioner Deshapriya will present to the party leaders tomorrow morning. They are expected to study the reforms and take a decision in consultation with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party parliamentary group. If the parties reach agreement on the proposed electoral reforms, the Commissioner would submit the proposals to the Legal Draftsman to prepare the amendment before it is submitted to parliament for approval as the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.
The Delimitation Commission will be appointed soon after approval is granted. The Commission will comprise officials from the Census Department and the Surveyor General’s Department with the Elections Commissioner being the secretary.