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No stable govts. with PR system: PAFFREL, MFE
A series of recommendations have been proposed in the report issued by People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) and Movement for Free Elections (MFE), on the conduct of provincial elections.

The report's attention is focused on the establishment of the Elections Commission, making revisions on the 17th Amendment, voter education programmes and amending the present system of voter registration.

The National Identity Card is pointed out as compulsory following the recent revelations of a large number of people being without IDs. The PAFFREL also report proposes that an all-party committee should be appointed to oversee the process of issuing identity cards and to make recommendations, as this has been a long standing demand by the civil society.

The movements also observe that the Election Law relating to posters and banners should be amended, as these would contribute to environmental pollution. Candidates resort to posters and banners when they are short of financial resources for media coverage, says the report. It is also revealed that a candidate has no chance of being elected unless he canvasses in his entire district.

The report has also mentioned about the mechanisms that should be established to give Sri Lankans living abroad to exercise their franchise. The report has observed that it is undemocratic to deprive them of this right.

On procedure for filling of vacancies in institutions created under the 17th Amendment, the movements propose that the current situation should be changed, in order to avoid deadlocks in the establishment of institutions.

The report also observes that the present electoral system has failed to produce stable governments. According to the report, when a single party with a clear cut policy fails to secure adequate majority representation in an elected body like Parliament, or the Provincial Council, the process of coalition building takes place, giving rise to a number of undesirable features, which affect good governance.

The report, which is basically focused on the General Elections of 2004, covers the timing, the monitoring system, background to the Provincial Council Elections of 2004, the role of the Elections and the Police Departments, monitoring coverage, monitoring data collected, pre-poll situation and recommendations.

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