Proposal to reintroduce former electoral system lauded

Asela Kuruluwansa and Sanjaya Asela Maturata

KANDY: The Malwatta and Asgiriya Chief Prelates expressed their deep appreciation of the proposal to re-introduce the former first past the post electoral system in place of the present preferential vote system which had caused a great tragedy to the country.

They said they would offer their blessings to get the new proposals adopted and legalised soon.

Changing the current electoral system is a great expectation of the people and the implementation of a process beneficial to the country is an urgent need irrespective of whoever opposed it, the prelates said.

The Most Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter and the Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter expressed these sentiments when the report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms was handed over to them in Kandy by committee members led by its Chairman, Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Monday.

Other committee members, Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne, Higher Education Minister Prof. Viswa Warnapala and Plan Implementation Minister P. Dayaratne were also present.

The Malwatta Prelate said a change in the current electoral system had been long expected.

Under the preferential vote system a person could enter Parliament by just canvassing a few votes and services rendered by Parliamentarians to the country had got scaled down.

The current system also did not create a stable government in this country and this had adversely affected national development. The fears expressed by certain people about the proposed electoral reforms were unfounded, he said.

Under the first past the post system there were times when the two leading parties had been reduced to eight seats in Parliament. But they had gained victory at subsequent elections.

Therefore no one should entertain fears or doubts about the proposed reforms, the prelate said.

The Asgiriya Prelate said under the earlier system MPs were held responsible for their electorates. Since parliamentarians had no responsibility at electoral level today they cared less about rural development and this had resulted in a breakdown in overall national development.

Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Mahanayake Thera said that the proposed reforms would not cause any injustice to the minor parties.

It should be remembered that certain majority sinhala electorates returned Tamil and Muslim parliamentarians under the earlier election system, opposition to things happening for the country’s good had been a habit among certain people.

Such obstructions are caused by who could not gain power to do any good, he said.