Imthiaz requests second debate over private member’s bills on youth candidacy quota

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar has written to the speaker requesting a second debate over the private member’s bills tabled by him seeking to make it mandatory for youth to be given a 25% quota for candidacy to run for office in any upcoming election in Sri Lanka.

In the letter, Markar noted that out of the three private member bills presented, only the proposal on increasing youth representation in local Government institutions has been returned with the Ministry recommendation.

The other two relating to parliament and provincial councils have not received the Ministry recommendation, the MP noted adding that the time period to provide the required recommendation will lapse on 14 January. Therefore, the MP in his letter requested the Speaker to make the necessary arrangements for the two private member’s bills on the candidacy quota for youth at parliamentary and provincial council elections to be taken up for a second debate.

Bakeer Markar first presented the proposal to the Parliament as an adjournment motion in 2020 which was taken up only in 2021. The initial proposal called for the need to provide youth below the age of 35 the opportunity to represent institutions. The age limit noted in the proposal was later raised to 40. “According to our demography, more than a quarter of the population are between ages 15-30. However, as a country, we do not have enough ‘young’ people in the decision-making process, where decisions about their future are being made. This needs correction. As a politician who entered politics through students’ movements in the 70’s UNP, I deem it a responsibility to ensure our next generation of youth has meaningful participation in active political structures,” the MP said at the time. The bill accordingly presented amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981, Provincial Councils Elections Act No. 2 of 1988, and the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance. Currently young MPs under the age of 40 only amount to 6% of the total number of MPs in the Parliament.