CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA 
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Suggestions that switch from PR system will wipe out small parties a canard: Zuhair
Suggestions that the switch over from the Proportional Representation (PR) system to the mixed electoral system will wipe out small and minority parties is another canard spread by these parties, the National United Front (NUF) said in a statement yesterday.The NUF said that political parties such as the LSSP and CP had been well represented in Parliament from as early as 1947 right upto 1989 under the ‘first-past-the post’ (FPP) system. The statement said that at the 1970 general election the LSSP won 19 seats in the then 151 member Parliament, while the UNP won only 17 seats and The Communist Party won 6. In the 1965 general election, the LSSP won 10 out of the 25 seats it contested while the CP won 4 out of the 9 seats it contested. At the 1960 (July) general election the LSSP won 12 out of 21 seats it contested while the CP won 4 out of 7 seats it contested. In the 1960 (March) general elections the LSSP won 10 out of 101 seats it contested and the CP won 3 out of 53 seats.
“The left parties had popular and charismatic non-communal leaders then though they gave in to communal politics after the first elections under the PR system, which aggravated communal tensions, further endangering ethnic relations. There is absolutely no basis for the claim that the minor and minority parties will be wiped out under the FPP plus limited PR system, except on account of the waning popularity of its leaders, the statement added.
Similarly, the statement added, Tamil and Muslim parties, depending on the popularity of its leaders and candidates will return to Parliament particularly from the Northern and Eastern provinces of the country. “Future possible political debacles of the minor and minority parties need not be blamed on the system,” the party further said. (Kelum Bandara)
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