Electoral Reforms

The demand for the dissolution of parliament is getting increasingly compelling. Civil society leaders, such as the Ven Maduluwave Sobitha, who led the movement for good governance during the presidential elections have come out strongly to insist that President Maithripala SIrisisena should use his presidential powers to dissolve parliament and hold the much anticipated general […]

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution to bring in much- awaited electoral reforms in Sri Lanka seems to be now in its final lap before reaching Parliament. While the number of seats that should constitute the new Parliament, whether it should be 225, 237 or 255, remains the main issue among the political parties, the […]

We representatives of the Muslim civil organizations, namely the All Ceylon Union of Muslim League Youth Fronts (ACUMLYF), National Shoora Council (NSC), the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL), and the Kandy Forum, on behalf of the Muslim Community of Sri Lanka, after studying the draft cabinet paper on the proposed 20th Amendment called the […]

 President – PM entrusted to decide way forward; Committee report accepted, subject to alterations; The Cabinet last night decided to entrust President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with the task of deciding the manner in which the government should proceed with the 20th Amendment. The Cabinet sub committee report, dealing with electoral reforms, […]

Now it’s 260 members: 165 FPP, 66 PR, 29 National List – Independent delimitation commission to work out new polling divisions. The 20th Constitutional Amendment presented by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) proposes a mixed electoral system that returns 231 members directly elected to Parliament. This is in addition to 29 members who will […]

[Mano Ganeshan: taking the lead to protest minority party rights] Minor and minority parties are meeting in the evening today to formulate a common stand on the proposed electoral reforms and put forward their own recommendations. The parties including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), People’s Liberation Front (JVP), Democratic People’s […]

Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party agreed to a mixed electoral system where 165 Members of Parliament will be elected under the first past the post system while 85 will be elected in proportional representation systems. Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya, he said that 165 members will be elected from […]

The Cabinet on the proposed electoral reforms will be taken up for discussion by the Ministers at the meeting scheduled for April 22, the first after the April New Year vacation, informed sources said. The electoral reforms will be evolved for implementation along with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution as an initiative by the […]

The Executive Council has decided to set up a commission to prepare a new electoral process to be implemented soon, a JVP council member revealed yesterday. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said this decision was made after his strict warning that his party would withdraw from the Executive Council. He also said the Executive Council […]

(Media Release/NPC) One of the main promises in the government’s election manifesto was to effect far reaching constitutional change to ensure good governance. The government pledged to bring in constitutional amendments within 100 days to make the presidency more accountable to parliament and to the judiciary, and also to change the electoral system. The major […]

At talks last Monday, Sirisena took part in his capacity as leader of the SLFP. The UNP team was headed by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and included Chairman Malik Samarawickrema, General Secretary Kabir Hashim, and Working Committee member Karu Jayasuriya. Sirisena told the UNP delegation that he had met Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya and the Surveyor […]