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Select committee proposals base for changes to polls laws
In a bid to expedite changes to the Local Government Ordinance the Government is to make use of the proposals recommended by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms in 2001, as the base for the new amendments.

The interim report on reforms was finalized with political parties representing Parliament, except the JVP, giving its consent. The Select Committee in its proposals recommended that a mixed system be introduced as it was best suited for Sri Lanka.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told The Sunday Times that as a consensus was reached on principle that there should be a change in the system, recommendations made by the Select Committee will be made use of.

“Using the recommendations made in the interim report will definitely expedite the exercise, esspecially to get the relevant amendments and drafts needed for the change. Except for the JVP which did not sign the interim neither nor oppose it all other political parties agreed on the recommendations, so it will not be a problem if we are to use the recommendations report,” he said.
The minister also said that although the Government was considering changing the electoral system before the recently concluded local government polls it could not be done due to lack of time.

Meanwhile PAFFREL, the independent election monitoring body, is to carry out a campaign for the implementation of electoral reforms. PAFFREL head Kingsley Rodrigo told The Sunday Times that recently concluded local government polls clearly showed that the system should be changed.

“There have been several international observers who have recommended that the system should be changed due to flaws in the present system. Even the recommendations in the interim report submitted by the Parliamentary Select Committee were overlooked. We feel that it is time the Government took steps to change the system. The mixed system is good but then small parties will oppose the move but there has to be a change and this is the correct time,” he said.

He also said PAFFREL would carry out its campaign in this regard similar tt the campaign it launched to make the identity card compulsory at the polls.
“I firmly believe that all political parties must join together, think of the future and agree on changing the system,” he said.

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