Make MPs' IDs valid - Azwer

Presidential Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs A. H. M. Azwer has called on Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to include ID cards of Parliamentarians in the list of ID documents prescribed for voters at elections.

Writing to the Commissioner, the former Parliamentary Affairs Minister said: I came to know from the media today that, Plantation Industries Minister D. M. Jayaratne MP has been denied casting his vote at Doluwa polling station in Gampola as the Presiding Officer had refused to recognise the Parliament Identity Cards as the proof of the voters identity.

It is also reported that Parliament Identity Card was not listed in the identity document recognised by the Elections Department.

I believe that it should not be so.

After all, Parliament is supreme and any document issued by the highest legislature in the country should be accepted as the proof of identity.

Issue of Identity Cards for MPs and ex-MPs were first initiated by me when I was Parliamentary Affairs Minister.Past members of Parliament when I happen to meet them, tells me how useful these identity cards are whenever they use to visit the Parliament.

May I suggest that the MPs' identity cards be included in the list of identity documents accepted by the Elections Commissioner.