SJB boycotts meeting convened by Justice Minister to discuss electoral reforms

By Saman Indrajith

The SJB yesterday boycotted a meeting convened by Justice Minister Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapakshe to discuss electoral reforms.

Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa said that the Opposition had serious doubts that the meeting’s intention was to further delay the elections therefore it would not participate in the meeting.

“We have received an invitation from the Prime Minister to attend this meeting scheduled to be held at 3 pm in the Parliamentary complex. The said purpose is to change the existing electoral system by introducing a mix system of direct and proportional representation. The government has put off local government and provincial council elections and there are attempts to postpone the next presidential election. In that context we do not think that this meeting has been convened in good faith. We challenge the Prime Minister to give an undertaking to the House that they would release funds to hold the local government elections if they have a genuine desire to ensure people’s right to vote. Our position is that you should conduct

the delayed elections and thereafter the matter of reforming the electoral system could be taken up,” Premadasa said.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the government has proposed the reforming of the electoral system in good faith. “We have a mandate to reform the electoral system. People expect this. We have not cancelled the local government polls. Some MPs have requested to cancel the local government polls at a consultative committee meeting of the Ministry of Public Administration. The term ‘in good faith’ should mean that we act according to our conscience. It was in good faith the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance announced that he had no funds to conduct polls. We have submitted to this House three reports of committees to reform the electoral system,” the Prime Minister said.

Opposition Leader Premadasa queried as to how the Prime Minister speaks about how their plans had been made in good faith in a context where the government has been exposed of doing its utmost and trying all the tricks in the book and beyond not to conduct the local government polls. “How do you speak of working in good faith after you have not released funds to hold elections, after you have summoned the judges to the privilege committee to harass them, after exerting pressure on election commission members not to hold elections? You speak of a mandate to reform the election system. Are you working on the mandate you received? Have you also got a mandate to ruin the economy and to bankrupt the country? Therefore, do not abuse the term ‘in good faith’. This is another ploy to delay the polls,” Premadasa said.

Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that it was his initiative to summon a meeting to meet political party leaders to obtain their views about introducing reforms to the electoral system. “There had been only one general election that was held under the 1978 Constitution and that was in 1989. Since then all other elections have been held with the promise of changing the existing electoral system. Starting from 1994, all the parties that came to power did so with promises to do away with the existing electoral system. I take the responsibility of sincerity in this matter. We intend to bring a bill for this purpose. This process of changing the electoral system is an exercise of 12 years. People abhor this election system. The MPs find it not practical. In Colombo District alone there are 15 seats. No single person could campaign in 15 electorates to get votes. Suppose a person is capable of getting votes from all 15 electorates to get elected to Parliament. Could he or she be able to serve all the 15 electorates to the satisfaction of the people who voted for him or her? This is not practical. There are electorates without MPs to represent them. On the other hand, it is now a known fact that the rich and powerful have undue advantage in elections. Then everybody knows that the underworld figures have power over others in elections. These reforms are to ensure a level playing field.

Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella: The truth is that you bring in reforms to delay polls because you know that you cannot win. Would you delay the polls if you can win? There is no point in speaking of sincerity. If you are working in good faith you should release funds to hold elections. All these ploys because you cannot win.