Conducting PC polls, an act against mandate: Gevindu Cumaratunga

By Kelum Bandara   

Ruling party MP Gevindu Cumaratunga who also spearheads the “Yuthukama” Organisation said it would be against the two-third mandate of the government to conduct the Provincial Council polls before the evolution of a new constitution with provisions for the change of the electoral system.   

Mr. Cumaratunga told Daily Mirror that the elections to the Provincial Councils could not be conducted under the last government because of  measures taken with the backing of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the plantation sector Tamil party alliance led by MP Mano Ganeshan.   

He said it would be against the mandate of the government to undo what the previous government did and should create the legal apparatus for the conduct of the Provincial Council elections before the change of the electoral system under the proposed constitution.   

He added that the government received a mandate to reconsider key provisions of the present constitution including the 13th Amendment in working out the new constitution.