As discussions continue at the political level regarding the methods of holding the provincial council elections in Sri Lanka, none of the members of the opposition party has withdrawn from the parliamentary special working committee investigating the electoral system, its leader Vijitha Herath has said.
He made this clear while speaking to the media regarding the reports that the opposition party representatives had said that they would withdraw from the executive committee. He mentioned that the main purpose of the working committee is to resolve the legal problems encountered in conducting the provincial council elections and for this purpose the views of all parties are being taken into consideration.
Not only the government but also opposition parties can present their views and suggestions in taking decisions related to elections. Therefore, Vijitha Herath emphasized the need to continue the activities of the working committee and find solutions to the existing problems.
He also said that the working committee is working with the aim of conducting the provincial council elections quickly. This issue also highlights the need to properly investigate and resolve the legal impediments to the conduct of elections as it will be difficult to proceed with the next steps without removing them.
An attempt to resolve the legal problems in the electoral system
Vijitha Herath said that four members from the opposition parties are members of the parliamentary special working committee set up to look into the legal problems found in the conduct of the provincial council elections. He also mentioned that none of them left the group.
He said that the ruling party and opposition parties are presenting their views in the working committee and the ideas and suggestions presented are being scrutinized. His explanation also points out that solutions to problems related to the electoral system cannot be based on the opinion of one party alone.
He said that it is the approach of the working committee that due attention should be given to the ideas presented by the members of the opposition parties and the suggestions made by the ruling parties should also be examined. By this, the need to consider various points of view before taking decisions related to elections is emphasized.
At the same time, Vijitha Herath also commented that he does not understand why the opposition parties are in a hurry to resolve the legal issues. His point of view is that all parties should act with the aim of finding a real solution to the existing legal problems.
Although there are differences of opinion between the political parties on this issue, it is important to establish the legal clarity required to conduct elections. The ideas put forward need to be explored in detail as decisions regarding the electoral system may have an impact on the conduct of elections in the future.
There is a need to examine the information released regarding the work of the working committee and the positions of the opposition parties separately. It is important in this regard to understand the difference between the information that members are allegedly withdrawing from the group and the political criticism they are making. Because of this, Vijitha Herath has clarified whether the members of the working committee are still part of it and how its work is being carried out.
Plan to submit report in Parliament on 17th December
Vijitha Herath said that it has been decided to submit the report of the working committee to examine the legal issues related to the provincial council election system in Parliament on December 17th.
Before submitting this report, various issues related to the electoral system need to be examined. The main task of the Working Committee is to consider the views presented by the representatives of the ruling party and the opposition party and make recommendations to solve the existing legal problems.
While the report has been informed that it will be submitted to Parliament, the recommendations contained in it and the next steps to be taken in connection with them are matters to be observed. However, the mere fact that the date of submission of the report has been announced does not mean that the date of the election has been confirmed.
It is necessary that the legal issues for the conduct of elections are resolved and necessary procedures are carried out. Therefore, what kind of solutions the Executive Committee’s report proposes and how Parliament and the relevant parties work to implement them become important.
Meanwhile, Vijitha Herath requested that the opposition representatives should continue to cooperate with the activities of the working committee. His emphasis is that the participation of all parties is necessary to solve the problems related to the electoral system.
Resolving the legal issues of holding the Provincial Assembly elections, examining the recommendations regarding the electoral system and submitting the Executive Committee’s report to the Parliament are currently important issues. While Vijitha Herath has said that the opposition parties have not withdrawn from the working committee, the progress of this matter will depend on how the next steps are taken.