All-party consensus on slashing the number of local council members

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reforms has reached agreement on reducing the number of representatives in local councils.

Two key issues that all political parties coming before the PSC stated were that there were too many local level representatives and no party that took control of a local council could maintain a stable grip on power under the current system, said PSC member and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), meanwhile, proposed that the Provincial Council election be held under the Proportional Representation (PR) system and the the Government had agreed, SJB General Secretary and PSC member Ranjith Madduma Bandara said.

An expert committee led by Prof. Sudantha Liyanage, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, is now studying the proposals made to the PSC and will submit its recommendations. Thereafter, the PSC will begin drafting its final report.

Unless extended, the PSC’s term is due to end on March 31.

When the PSC convened on Thursday under its Chairman Dinesh Gunawardena, discussions were held on using a mixed electoral system to elect representatives to local councils. Accordingly, the proposal is to elect 60 percent of the representatives under the First- Past- the- Post ( FPP) system and 40 percent under the PR system.

Other issues that were discussed included increasing female representation in local councils.