No power to change delimitation - Faizer

Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Fazier Musthapa told Parliament yesterday that he has no power to institute major changes to delimitation under the local government election (Amendment) Bill. Minister Musthapa made this remark in relation to the allegations made by Ministers Rauff Hakeem and Rishad Bathiudeen that the delimitation in the East in its present form affects the Muslim minority adversely. “Delimitation was done by the former Minister Basil Rajapaksa during the previous regime and the two ministers should blame him. What I have inherited is a set of complicated issues,” he said. Admitting he had agreed to some demands made by the upcountry Tamil MPS, the Minister said the issue in the Nuwara Eliya District is different as the plantation Tamil population is in larger proportion, and there are also geographical complexities.

He said he would meet all parties at 9.30 am today prior to the committee stage of the debate on Local Government Election (Amendment) Bill to educate the MPS on the new Amendments.the Minister said the government had already accepted some changes to the Bill proposed by the opposition. Accordingly, the government is agreeable to cancel the payment of deposits of the candidates who will be contesting in wards, while the deposits of candidates who are included in the list would be reduced to Rs.1,500, he said. Another major Amendment to the Bill he said is the increase in the ratio of First Past the Post system and the proportional representation system to 60/40 compared to earlier ratio of 70/30.