Special provisions granting IDPs an electoral vote moved in P’ment

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

Special provisions exempting internally displaced persons meeting certain requirements in the Registration of Electors Act No. 44 of 1980 was moved yesterday in Parliament by Minister of Justice Rauf Hakeem despite interruptions from the Opposition who identified the Registration of Elections (special provisions) Bill as “a hurried move” and “not an urgent bill”, in the absence of discussing the contents at a Consultative Committee with Elections Commissioner being present.

Moving the Bill, Hakeem assured that the draft was prepared with the active involvement of all stakeholders including the Elections Commissioner. “The issue of conveying a consultative committee in my opinion does not arise as the Supreme Court has given a very clear determination on the amendments.

“I assure the House that this Bill has been prepared with the full involvement of the Commissioner of Elections and these matters have been raised by all political parties ensuring the public to vote in an election. It is the legitimacy of the electoral process and this Bill will strengthen it,” he said.

“Sri Lanka achieved the franchise long before some other countries in the region. We have successfully conducted periodic elections democratically enabling the public to vote but certain impediments have risen when exercising the franchise, especially for the internally displaced in the North and the East. The new Bill allows the internally displaced to revisit their electoral district regardless of being listed in the electoral list or not,” explained Minister Hakeem.