Pressure mounts on govt over long-delayed PC polls

By Yohan Perera   

The Government is continuing to come under increasing political pressure to hold the long-delayed Provincial Council elections, with a coalition of 43 political parties yesterday demanding that the polls be conducted within this year under the proportional representation system.  

Addressing the media on behalf of the alliance, Convener of the Joint Opposition G. L. Peiris said the Provincial Council elections should be held without further delay and insisted that the existing proportional representation (PR) electoral system be retained.  

Prof. Peiris made this call on behalf of the 43 political parties including Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), United National Party (UNP), IATAK, SLMP, United Republic Front, Sarwajana Balaya, CWC, Janatha Sewaka Party founded by former JVP Leader Somawana Amarasinghe, Lanka Samasamaja Party (LSSP), New Democratic Front and number of others.   

“Parliament intervened to abolish the existing electoral system. However the act of replacing a new electoral system in place of the existing one was not completed. Therefore, the election commission could not hold the provincial council election. Representatives of 43 political parties met the representatives of election commission and they made a written request to hold the provincial council election under the provincial representative system which existed before 2017. One cannot postpone the provincial council election under the guise of preparing a new electoral system. Party representatives agreed to allocate 25 percent of the slots in their electoral lists for women and the youth. Only a simple amendment is needed to provide legal provisions to hold the provincial council election. No General Secretary of a political party has the moral and legal rights to declare that elections will not be held. Therefore 43 political parties urge the government to hold the provincial council election this year,” Prof. Peiris said.   

“Provincial council elections were last held in 2014. Provincial council elections have not been held for 12 years. Provincial councils have been vested with important duties. Supreme Courts have held that provincial councils are essential to a person’s life from the cradle to the grave. These can perform a large number of services which is important to day to day life. Provincial councils don’t have any elected members today. However large number of funds have been allocated for the provincial councils. It is the governors who decides on how to spend funds allocated for provincial councils. Elected members does not have the opportunity of decision making on allocation of funds. This is anti-democratic. Universal franchise is the base of people’s rights. Holding of elections from time to time is a right of the people.” he added.   

Former MP Lasantha Alagiyawanna who represented Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) said some of the opposition parties also should accept the responsibility for the postponement of provincial council election to some extent. He also recalled that the ruling NPP has pledged in his manifesto that provincial council elections will be held within one years after assuming office.   

Former MP Rajitha Senaratne said all opposition parties should submit a joint list in all districts for all provinces as they did at the recently held cooperative elections.