The Election Commission plans to speed up the process of holding the long-delayed provincial council elections in Sri Lanka. Chairman of the Election Commission R. M. A. L. Ratnayake said.
Parliament’s resolution in this matter assumes importance as the existing legal issues need to be resolved before holding the elections. In particular, a final decision has to be taken regarding the electoral system under which the provincial council elections will be held.
The prolonged absence of elections has also raised questions about democratic representation. Concerns have also been raised in political circles that in the absence of elected representatives at the provincial level, opportunities to directly represent people’s issues are being compromised.
If the legal arrangements for conducting the elections are completed quickly, it is expected that the next steps can be taken forward. However, the date of the election has not yet been confirmed.
Legal issues related to the electoral system and ideas of the Commission
One of the major obstacles in the conduct of provincial council elections is the legal provisions related to the electoral system introduced in 2017. As some of the procedures required under the changes brought in then were not completed, the problem remained as to the manner in which the elections would be conducted.
To address this issue, the Attorney General’s Department has proposed amendments to conduct elections under the old electoral system. The Election Commission has also submitted its ideas to the Parliamentary Special Working Committee, its chairman said.
With this, the current effort is to explore ways of conducting elections by removing existing legal barriers.
Parliament has the power to make the final legal decision to conduct the Provincial Council elections. The Election Commission can issue official announcements regarding the election only after the necessary decisions have been taken by the Parliament.
Also, issues related to ensuring representation of women and youth in provincial assemblies are also being considered. It is informed that recommendations are being prepared keeping in mind these aspects while deciding the electoral system.
The commission hopes to hold discussions with all parties in the coming days and build a consensus on the matter. However, holding talks alone does not guarantee that elections will take place immediately. Legislative amendments and resolutions of Parliament will determine the next step forward.
Questions and people’s expectations about election delay
Various questions have been raised by the public and political parties regarding the non-holding of provincial council elections for a long time. In particular, the important question is why it is taking so long to resolve the legal issues of holding elections.
Summarizing the general comments, the important expectations are that the government and Parliament should announce a clear timetable for the elections and that steps to resolve the legal issues should be taken forward without further delay.
The provincial assembly election holds particular significance for Tamil political parties from the northern and eastern provinces. Having representatives elected by the people at the provincial level can help to politically articulate demands related to local needs, land issues, development and devolution.
At the same time, there is also an expectation that people’s direct participation and accountability should be ensured when decisions related to provincial councils are taken.
The comments presented here are a summary of the most common questions and political debates about election delay. These should not be construed as a direct compilation of comments made by specific readers.
The next step forward is that the Election Commission plans to hold talks with all parties. But Parliament’s legislative action and clear political decisions are needed to end the long-standing delay.
Therefore, the decisions to be taken in the coming days regarding the means of expeditious holding of the Provincial Assembly elections will become important. Until the date of election is announced, people have to wait for the progress of these activities.