New electoral reform is a solution to the Northern problem – former GA Jaffna – Lional Fernando

Thursday, 28 May 2015

Former Jaffna government agent Lional Fernando said the 20th constitutional amendment proposed for the reformation of a new electoral system is a best solution for a genuine reconciliation for the people in the North.

He stressed this during a media communiqué convened today 28th by CaFFe under the theme “Lets legislate 20th and end the preferential voting

He further said “in 1977 when the government legislated the electoral system the country’s public service became upside down. It created unrest between ethnicities. From a fresh electoral system any person belonging to any ethnicity can independently participate in elections. Therefore we can believe that this would help the people in the north to obtain their rights

Executive Director of CaFFe Keerthi Tennakoon said people’s representatives who were elected from the Northern and Eastern Province are living either in Colombo or outside Sri Lanka. When an election is announced these representatives visit their villages grab their preferential votes by spending money and after winning the election they leave the people in the village. Therefore we need to stop this and find a way where we can keep these elected representatives in their own electorate. The only way to stop this is to legislate the 20th amendment and it is the sole responsibility of all civilized people’s representatives to defeat this preferential voting system which is sold money.

The chairman of the Sri Lanka Administration officers union Chandrarathna Pallegama and the former secretary of the ministry of lands Ashoka Pieris also participated in this media communique.