UPFA want more MPs in FPP

9 June 2015 12:59 pm

The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) today urged President Maithripala Sirisena to increase the number of MPs elected on the First-Past-the-Post system in the proposed 20th Amendment on electoral reforms.

This request was made at the UPFA parliamentary group meeting in the parliamentary complex today. At a special session on Monday, the Cabinet decided to draft the legislation on electoral reforms by Friday. According to the decision taken at the meeting, the members had proposed that 125 MPs should be elected on the FPP system, 75 on the District Proportional Representation system and 25 through the National List. This is basically the proposals submitted by the United National Party (UNP) the main constituent of the government.

However, the UPFA said the quota reserved under the FPP should be increased from the proposed 125.

UPFA General Secretary MP Susil Premajayantha said the UPFA was opposed to the preferential voting system.

"We will work out our amendments based on these two proposals and hand them over to the President," he said. (Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera)