Parliamentary Select Committee on Election Law Reforms expedites work

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Election Law Reforms appointed to identify reforms needed to the election laws and the electoral system and to make necessary amendments is preparing to present its report, Committee Chairman and Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said.

The Committee already discussed the possibility of holding Local Government Elections under a mixed system of the first past the post and proportional representation system and the ratio of the number of members to be elected at the divisional level and proportional level in a mixed electoral system.

The discussions took place under the chairmanship of Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in Parliament last week.

The parties had discussed the selection of 60% of the representatives under the first past the post system and 40% under the Proportional Representation system.

It has also discussed the most appropriate methodology for women’s representation and reducing the number of representatives in Local Government bodies.

The Parliamentary Select Committee comprises representatives of all the political parties represented in Parliament and an expert committee has been appointed on the basis of the nominations of all those parties to analyse the facts.

The term of this Committee is due to end on 31 March.

Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Prof. G.L. Peiris, State Minister Jeevan Thondaman, MPs Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Kabir Hashim, Rauff Hakeem, M.A. Sumanthiran, Mano Ganesan, Madhura Withanage, Sagara Kariyawasam and Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff of Parliament Kushani Rohanadheera were also present.