Parliament’s special committee on provincial council elections has decided to summon the Attorney General and Election Commission officials to resolve legal obstacles, as nine years without elections have crippled vital services in health and education.
The Parliamentary Special Committee has decided to summon the Attorney General’s Department and Election Commission officials to inquire into the legal issues and obstacles surrounding the holding of provincial council elections. This decision was made during the committee’s first meeting held on the 17th at Parliament, chaired by Minister Vijitha Herath.
The primary responsibility assigned to this committee is to study which electoral system should be used for provincial council elections and to present necessary recommendations and proposals.
Speaking at the meeting, the committee chairman noted that legal obstacles to holding the election have arisen because the delimitation of divisions required to implement the mixed proportional representation system introduced by Act No. 17 of 2017 has not yet been completed. Meanwhile, opposition members emphasized that provincial councils, which govern critical sectors such as health and education, have remained non-functional for nearly nine years, creating numerous problems. They proposed that elections be held promptly under the existing proportional representation system, with electoral reforms to follow afterward.
Committee Chairman Minister Vijitha Herath further stated that a broad discussion should be held on the importance of formulating a new electoral system that ensures mandatory representation for women as well as youth representation. Accordingly, the Attorney General and Election Commission officials have been summoned to the next committee meeting to obtain their views on the existing legal impediments. This special parliamentary committee is required to submit its report to Parliament within three months from its inaugural meeting.
The preliminary discussion was attended by Deputy Ministers Arun Hemachandra, Attorney Sunil Watagala, and Muneer Mulafar, along with committee members R. M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Mano Ganeshan, Panakkiyan Rajapuththiran Rasamanikkam, President’s Counsel M. Nizam Kariapper, Chandana Sooriyaarachchi, Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, and Lakshman Nipunarachchi.
