‘No steps have been taken to establish new electoral system’: Mahinda Deshapriya
Thursday, 2 April 2015 00:32
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Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday revealed that no steps had been taken to establish a new electoral system.
Speaking to the Daily FT, Deshapriya said: “Nothing has been done regarding a new electoral system. We have only summarised the proposals we got so far and presented them. Even a final report has not been completed on this matter.”
Meanwhile, on Wednesday he told the media that unless the political parties representing Parliament agree to increase the number of parliamentary seats the dream of a mixed electoral system supporting the first-past-post system would not be a reality.
According to reports, political parties are discussing whether to increase the number of parliamentary members from 225 (196 elected and 29 appointed) to 250 (150 elected under the first-past-the-post system, 80 under the district proportional representation system and 30 from the National List.)
Deshapriya further emphasised to the media that they could not work out a realistic combination of the first-past-the-post system, district proportional representation and the National List without increasing member numbers.
19-A: Over 20 petitions in SC
The Supreme Court yesterday began hearing about the constitutionality of the proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution sequent to 16 special determination petitions and five other intervenient petitions filed for and against the proposed Bill.
The Supreme Court Bench comprised Chief Justice K. Sripavan, Justice Chandra Ekanayake and Justice Priyasath Dep PC.
Lawyer Gomin Dayasiri, Provincial Councillor Udaya Gammanpila, L.P.I. Perera, Darshana Weerasekara, Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera, S. Wanigasekara, Ven. Matara Ananda Sagara Thera, D. Weraduwage, Sri Lanka Press Institution, Piyal Nanayakkara, Somaweera Chandrasiri of Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, Nishantha Warnasinghe of the JHU, MTV Channel, MBC Network, Nagalanda Kodituwakku and T.A. Jayakody filed special determination petitions while Krishantha Nalanda Ambagaspitiya, K.S. Upul Prabhath, Mohinudeen Mohammed Mustqdeen, Wasantha Piyal Rajakaruna and Geoffrey Alagaratnam filed intervenient petitions in the Supreme Court in terms of Article 129 (1) of the Constitution. The petitioners cited the Attorney General as the respondent.
Most of them had sought a declaration that presidential powers, the powers of the Government and fundamental rights of the citizen were sought to be changed through the proposed amendment and as such required a two-thirds majority in Parliament and the approval of the people at a referendum.
The Government presented an amendment to the Constitution called the 19th Amendment that was gazetted on 13 March 2015. The proposed amendment was also placed in the order paper on 24 March 2015.
Further proceedings on the matter were fixed for today with the Supreme Court’s determination on this subject to be communicated to the Speaker and the President.
