Parliament

House takes up Registration of Electors (Special Provisions) Bill

Sandasen Marasinghe and Disna Mudalige

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody presided when Parliament met at 1.00 pm yesterday. After the presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up the Registration of Electors (Special Provisions) Bill for debate.

Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem:

I present the Registration of Electors (Special Provisions) Bill to exempt internally displaced persons from certain requirements of the Registration of Electors Act, No. 44 of 1980 and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental there to.

This country has a proud history and record for achieving franchise before many other countries in the world did. The exercise of franchise is necessary for democracy. Due to the war, many people in the North and East became IDPs.

These IDPs find it difficult to comply with the requirements to become a qualified voter as a result of the long fought battle. This move is to provide the right of franchise to them following a special procedure. Today, the country has been fully emancipated from the clutches of terrorism and therefore, providing IDPs with the right to franchise is timely and highly necessary. This move would also comply with the plans we have put forward in the human rights sphere. Therefore, even internationally this move would be commended.

A large number of people in the North and East who have left out from the voters’ register will be able to obtain their right to vote through this move. The only disqualification of some of them is that they do not have a permanent address.

Registration of Electors (Special Provisions) Bill

In terms of the Registration of Electors Act No. 44 of 1980, an applicant for registration as an elector should have attained the age of 18 years and should be resident in an electoral district on the first day of June of each year to be registered as an elector in such electoral district. The address at which such applicant was ordinarily resident in an electoral district on the first day of June in any year is referred to as his qualifying address. Consequently a significantly a large number of internally displaced individuals from the Northern and Eastern Provinces find it difficult to comply with the requirement of a qualifying address to be registered as electors in such Provinces.

The Bill permits internally displaced citizens to vote in the electoral district in which they were resident prior to 2009.

* If his name appeared in the register of electors for any electoral district in the Northern or Eastern Provinces for any year until the end of the year 2009 and.

* Whose name has not been entered in any register in operation subsequent to 2009.

Further, the children of a citizen referred to above

a) Who had not attained the age of 18 years on the date on which such citizen became an internally displaced person or

b) Who were born after such citizen became an internally displaced person and have attained the age of 18 years or more on the date of operation of this Act and.

c) Whose name has not been entered in any register in operation subsequent to the year 2009 are enabled to vote in the electoral district in which a citizen referred to above was permanently resident before the year 2009 on production of the birth certificate and a certificate issued by the Grama Niladhari of the area in which he is presently residing in proof of the matters specified in paragraphs (a),(b) and (c) above.

Janaka Bandara takes the Chair.

Joseph Micheal Perera (UNP):

Why this Bill is considered an urgent Bill? We do not understand why this Bill is taken up with such a haste. The government could allow time for the Consultative Committee to analyse it before its presentation to the House.

As I know, this Bill only applies to those who are presently in the country. But some of the residents in former war torn areas have gone abroad. What measures would be taken about them? In some areas in the North and East, there are newly settled families. They were not original residents of those locations. But even they can obtain the right to franchise under the new move. Wouldn’t this lead to a new problem? We hope our concerns will be answered by the Elections Commissioner.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris:

As MP Joseph Micheal Perera rightly assumed, it is true that this legislation only applies to those who are within the country and not those who have gone overseas. There was a reason for that. If they have chosen to live in a foreign country, they have no opportunity to elect representatives in this country. Those who have abandoned their links with the country, will not have the right to franchise to choose the political representatives here.

There were a many people driven away from the North and East due to war. Some people have been settled elsewhere and they have included their names to the Register of Voters’ list from that region. What we should take into account is the current locations of that person. The number of voters registered in a district will decide the number of MPs chosen from the respective district. However, one person cannot use their vote at two places.

Prof. G. L. Peiris (External Affairs Minister): In October 15, 1990 all the Muslims were chased away from Vavuniya. On October 23 Muslims were closed away within seven days from Mullaitive. Muslims were chased away from Kilinochchi within five days. The government has powers to acquire the lands under security reasons.

Suresh Premachandra (TNA): About 35,000 people lived in a lands area of 6,381 acres in the North.

Those people should be allowed to live in those areas.

Prof. G. L. Peiris (External Affairs Minister): The people did not leave voluntarily. But Muslims in Jaffna, Osmania College were given two hours to leave on October 30, 1990.

The government has allocated a colossal amount of money to develop the economy in the Northern area whatever the opposition members speake of reconciliation, it would not be fruitful if the economic development is not taking place.

Suresh Premachandra (TNA): The elections that should be held once in six years are held after two or four years.

If the government wanted to hold an election in the North they could have held it before four years. In Vavuniya around 1,000 Sinhalese are resettled, in Welioya 9,000 Sinhala people are resettled. In Murunkan and Nawakkuli there were Sinhalese families.

Rishad Bathiudeen (Industry and Commerce Minister): The opposition is suspicious as to why this motion is moved urgently.

In 2010 my name too was removed from the Mannar electoral list. I entered it through an appeal. The Muslims in the North too were displaced for 20 years. Those Muslims were living in certain areas in the North. The priority was given to resettle the IDPs in Menik Farm. It was decided to resettle the Muslims after that.

Vijitha Herath (DNA): The government neglected to take the essential measures to build reconciliation immediately after the defeat of terrorism.

The DNA urged the government to remove unnecessary provisions in the constitution and take measures to build harmony. The government is taking measures to move this Bill to face an election and to find answers to the questions the international communities raises.

Feliex Perera (Social Services Minister): In Jaffna there’s only 400,000 plus population of Tamil people. But more Sri Lankan Tamil people are living in Switzerland, Norway and other European countries. So they need to create problems in Sri Lanka to remain in those countries.

In Vavuniya there are 50 persons in a square kilometer. The Tamils went to India after the Black July.

Tissa Attanayake (UNP): There is no issue with granting franchise to the IDPs but the issue is that it is brought in a haste without obtaining the views from the people. President Rajapaksa had promised to India and others to hold Provincial Council elections in the North.

Hunais Farook (UPFA):

We commend the legislation made today. I believe, this move will affect positively to the people in the North and the East. I kindly request to implement the LLRC recommendation on the resettlement of Muslim people. Please look into the issues in resettlement of the Muslim people. This Bill is equally important to Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people affected by war. We support this Bill. It will ensure the voting rights of people.

Some have presented misleading figures about Muslim population in the North and East areas. We have to create ethnic harmony in this country.

Chandrakumar Murugesu takes the Chair.

A.H.M. Azwer (UPFA):

Rights of the Muslim people have been ensured in all regions of the country. The facilities of Muslim schools have been upgraded and we are glad about it. The Opposition is unduly worried about this new legislation and repeatedly asking why such haste to pass this law in the House. It is due to the LTTE, a large number of Sri Lankans had to leave this country and live in overseas countries. I ask from the TNA, do you oppose the holding of elections in the North? The UNP criticized Sri Lanka’s close relations with China. But the history speaks that China-Sri Lanka relations were first recognised by UNP founder D.S. Senanayake. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had made 7 visits to China.

Mavai Senathiraja (TNA):

The Muslim MPs talked of this Bill in positive note and they requested the support of the TNA to the resettlement. We have no issue of resettling people in their original locations. We are against the encroachment of lands in the North and the East by outsiders.

We heavily object to land encroachments by the Security Forces. Hotels and other constructions have been carried out in these lands.

P. Harison (UNP):

We don’t stand against the move to provide provisions to register those people in the North and the East to the electoral list. But the issue is as to why this is brought urgently.

We know a large number of Sinhalese persons were removed from the North as well as East. The Muslims too were driven away from these areas.

Nimal Siripala de Silva (Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister):

On the request of MP P. Harison, Opposition Leader and other members, I like to state that the vote in this Bill will not be taken today.

The government will provide time to discuss the facts with the Commissioner of Elections if needed, it can be discussed at a Consultative Committee before the vote taken on another date.

M. Swaminathan (UNP):

I agree that even a Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim could reside in Jaffna like I have right to reside in Kandy.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody takes the Chair.

But one cannot do it forcibly. The Sinhalese are entitled to go there and live freely. We have no objection in registration of IDPs. But what is this rush? This is a good Bill. But don’t bring it at this stage.

S. Adaikalanathan (TNA):

We have a problem in bringing in this motion so soon. The people are resettled forcefully. The Sinhalese too resettled in those areas.

Susil Premajayantha (Environment and Renewable Energy Minister):

The Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims were internally displaced for two and half decades. About 75,000 Muslims were removed forcibly in 1992 by the LTTE.

However, these lands were divided among Tamils. Now where could the people be resettled. There were 25,000 Sinhalese in Jaffna. Where is the Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya in Jaffna now?

Now the number of students in Tamil schools in Colombo is reducing as they are going back to their villages in the North. They were here because they could not live there when the terrorism existed.

We held elections in the North and the TNA won. We are not afraid of elections and never block the democratic rights of people.

W.D.J. Seneviratne (Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister):

This move is taken to strengthen the democratic rights of the people.

This Bill provides people who were internally displaced since 1983 to exercise their vote in future.

The Sinhalese and Muslims were forcefully removed by the LTTE terrorists from the North and East.

Their right to vote were violated by the LTTE. This Bill assures their right that was deprived by the LTTE.

The Parliament adjourned until 1.30 pm today.

New farmers’ pension scheme shortly

Sandasen Marasinghe and Disna Mudalige

A new farmers’ pension scheme will be introduced shortly amending the existing system, International Monetary Cooperation Senior Minister and Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr Sarath Amunugama said in Parliament yesterday.

He said the Cabinet paper in this regard has been compiled and will be presented to the Cabinet within the next two weeks.

Dr Amunugama said a Salaka system will be introduced and farmers who have enrolled to the existing system would be absorbed into the new system.

He said the monthly pension of farmers would be increased to Rs 1,500 under the new move.

Dr Amunugama said farmers reluctant to be absorbed into the new system can withdraw the balance of their accounts at once with a 15 percent interest upon completion of 65 years.

He said the existing system had to be restructured due to the financial issue.

The minister said the new system would be implemented in a manner that no farmer would be met with injustice. He made these observations in response to a question raised by UNP MP Sajith Premadasa.

Registration of Electors Bill postponed

Sandasen Marasinghe and Disna Mudalige

The Registration of Electors (Special Provisions) Bill which was presented to provide right to franchise for internally displaced people by exempting them from certain requirements of the Registration of Electors Act was postponed to a future date. Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday stated in Parliament this postponement was made on the request of the Opposition.

The minister said the government is ready to facilitate a special discussion about this Bill with the Elections Commissioner and if needed to convene a Consultative Committee Meeting about it as requested by the Opposition.

Accordingly, the debate on the Bill was postponed to a future date by Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody.