LG elections on hybrid system
One third under PR system:
Two thirds on First-Past the Post System:
Rasika SOMARATHNA
|
Keheliya Rambukwella
|
The Government is to amend the Local Government electoral system to
hold elections on the former Ward System while utilizing a mixed system
between the ‘First-Past-the-Post’ and the Proportional Representation
(PR) system when electing members.
In this connection two thirds of the members are to be elected on the
‘First-Past-the-Post’ system and one third under the PR system. Cabinet
approval was granted to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft amending
legislation to amend the Local Government Elections Ordinance and the
Municipal Council Ordinance, Urban Council Ordinance and the Pradeshiya
Sabha Act, to be presented to Parliament, Mass Media and Communications
Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday.
Announcing the above while presenting the Cabinet Decisions before
the media, Minister Rambukwella noted that this was the result of a wide
political agreement reached on the need to re-introduce the Ward System
in view of the shortcomings in the existing Electoral System.
The Government has observed that there is a social consensus that the
present system should be changed and has acted to revert back to the
ward system while finding a fine balance between the
‘First-Past-the-Post’ and PR system when electing members, he added.
The Cabinet paper in this regard had been presented by the Local
Government and Provincial Councils Minister A.L. M. Athaullah. |
