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PSC to decide local council electoral changes, including halving number of members
View(s):By Damith Wickremasekara
The Government is proposing to establish a Parliamentary Select Committee to decide on local government electoral changes including the reduction of the number of members to be elected at the next poll.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe will meet with political party leaders on Tuesday to discuss the proposal of reducing the number of local council members to 4,400 from the present 8,700.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the Sunday Times the objective would be to introduce amendments to laws, enabling the reduction of councillors and other changes.
“I have informed Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena about the proposed Select Committee on Friday and had a positive response,” Minister Rajapakshe said.
He said the Select Committee report was expected within two weeks, enabling the Cabinet to consider and approve amendments prior to the next local council elections scheduled to be held before March next year.
“The number of members in the current system is the concern as it is an additional burden,” he said.
Home Affairs State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura told the Sunday Times Prime Minister Gunawardena had also requested the five-member Delimitation Commission appointed to demarcate wards for local councils to submit its report ahead of the February 28 deadline.
“If the report is available soon we can expedite the introduction of the amendments in Parliament as soon as possible as it would reduce the cost of elections,” Mr Wakkumbura said.
He said the President at Tuesday’s meeting would try to gain consensus among parties to form the Select Committee and expedite the amendments.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said they were not opposed to the reduction of the number of members, but would oppose any move to use the Select Committee process to delay the local council elections.
Election Commission Chairman S.G. Punchihewa told the Sunday Times that they had estimated that the elections would cost Rs 10 to 11 billion.
He said preparations were being made to announce the nominations by the end of this month and hold elections by the end of February or early March.
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