MS seeks UNP, SLFP consensus on 20A

...Ven Sobitha told no dissolution until passage of electoral reforms

By Shamindra Ferdinando-June 5, 2015, 12:00 pm 

President Maithripala Sirisena is expected to call a special Cabinet meeting next Monday (June 8) to push for a consensus on the 20 Amendment to the Constitution between the UNP and his own party, the SLFP.

The Opposition expected President Maithripala Sirisena to finalise agreement on electoral reforms ahead of next parliamentary sittings on June 9, Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva told The Island yesterday.

"We are confident that the President can secure an agreement on the 20 Amendment," MP De Silva said. The consent of the Cabinet would have to be followed by the Supreme Court determination, he said, adding that the Opposition was preparing to contest the next election under the new system.

The SLFPer insisted that President Maithripala Sirisena himself on behalf of the government had assured the passage of the 20 Amendment before the next parliamentary election. That assurance involves the introduction of a mixed system comprising the First-Past-the-Post election of a member for each electorate and the Proportional Representation, where election of members would be based on the proportion of votes obtained by each political party in a particular district, had been a key pledge in Maithripala Sirisena’s polls manifesto endorsed by the UNP. Therefore, the UNP should give up its ridiculous effort to sabotage the 20 Amendment, MP De Silva said.

The Opposition Leader emphasised that the next general election should be conducted in accordance with the new electoral system. Responding to a query, the MP pointed out that Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha thera, too, had thrown his weight behind the proposed electoral reforms. "At a recent felicitation ceremony held at the BMICH under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in honour of Ven. Sobitha, the gathering was told of the pivotal importance of having the 20 Amendment before the next general election. Ven. Sobitha, during his address, urged the President and the Prime to take required measures to bring in electoral reforms.

MP De Silva alleged that the UNP had been reluctant to endorse the 20 Amendment as it feared the proposed system would be unfavourable to the ruling party. The Opposition Leader said that a spate of recent statements attributed to Prime Minister and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, UNP Secretary General Kabir Hashim, MP and Leader of the House Lakshman Kirieilla, MP reflected the crisis within the minority government. According to him, controversial UNP strategy meant to thwart the 20 Amendment had, in fact, isolated the party, with UNP ally the JHU backing the 20 Amendment.
Meanwhile, a group of civil society representatives led by Ven. Sobitha on Thursday met President Maithripala Sirisena to press for the 20 Amendment passage. Sources said that the meeting resolved to take up electoral proposals at a special cabinet meeting before placing them before parliament. The dissolution of parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena would be subject to the passage of the 20 Amendment, sources said.

SLFP sources said that Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, after having studied a range of electoral proposals submitted to the Election Secretariat by various parties, made his position clear as regards the hybrid system to all political parties represented in parliament. Sources said that therefore it would be the responsibility of political parties represented in parliament to approve the 20 Amendment without further delay. While making observations on the entire range of proposals, Deshapriya has stressed that the electoral proposals now under deliberations hadn’t been formulated by his Secretariat but a collective effort of all stakeholders, including him.