Champika wants PC polls on same day

Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday said the election of all nine Provincial Councils should be held on the same day.

Patali Champika Ranawaka

“Due to the war, Government decided to hold the Provincial Council election partially,” Ranawaka said at an event at Waters Edge with the participation of civil society activists. 

Ranawaka noted political parties should come to agreement to pass the report of the Delimitation Committee for the delimitation of electorates in Provincial Councils. He insisted election of all Provincial Councils should be held under the same electoral system.

“Elections to certain Provincial Councils have been delayed by more than one year and terms of the rest of Provincial Councils would also be elapsed with the next few months,” he added.

He said the Government was able to introduce a mix of both preferential and first past the post electoral system. Ranawaka noted that disagreement among members of Parliament had been the reason to delay Provincial Council Election. 

“Political parties should come to an agreement on which electoral system should be used to hold the election of all nine Provincial Councils,” he said. 

The report of the Delimitation Committee for the delimitation of electorates in Provincial Councils was not approved by Parliament on 24 August 2018. In the division that was taken, no votes were cast in favour while 139 votes were against it.

The report was required to be approved by a majority of two-thirds voting in its favour, in terms of section 3A (11) of the Provincial Councils Elections Act. It was presented to Parliament on 6 March 2018 by the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government.