No decision to amend law on 25% mandatory female representation 

• Speaker assures House Party Leaders took no decision to amend the new law
• Asserts that law would be implemented as it, except for extraordinary circumstances

 The Party Leaders meeting on Monday (19) has not decided to amend the law requiring 25% female representation in the Local Government council’s mandatory, Parliament was informed yesterday.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya made this assertion in response to a Point of Order raised by Joint Opposition MP Dullas Alahapperuma, who charged that certain media outlets had claimed that the Government had decided to scrap the new concerning the 25% female representation.

“This situation has been discussed at various platforms. This is such an important law and therefore this decision being taken now to change that stand is not at all justifiable” he said noting that three nominations of the SLPP had been rejected including Maharagama and Mahiyanganaya for not having the required number of female’s names despite females being nominated. 

The Speaker then note that a discussion had been held with the participation of officials of the Elections Commission, the Minster of Provincial Councils and Local Government along with his Secretary, MP Dinesh Gunawardana and Keheliya Rambukwella regarding this issue.

“We were able to resolve the matter to a great degree,” the Speaker assured the House.

MP Alahapperuma further noted that the earlier requirement of 30% youth representation at local councils had been done away with to bring in the new of 25% compulsory female representation.

“The youth representation made mandatory during Premadasa’s tenure was completely discarded and female representation was made mandatory,” he said adding that even previous provincial councilors and Secretaries were included in the supplementary list in order to allow more females the opportunity to be elected.

He then criticized the Government for using the introduction of the new law on mandatory female representation as part of the LG election campaign.

“The government conducted their entire election campaign depicting the female representation law as a major victory they had gained in local politics. That’s how they got the votes. Once a match has been played and completed, one cannot count the number of no balls bowled,” he quipped. At this point, the Leader of the House, Lakshman Kiriella, asserted that it had been determined that the 25% female representation would continue as is, but that Parliament would step in if a Local Government body fails to establish a council. “However, in some councils the 25% cannot be obtained and in such situations we decided to bring in required amendments later on. It is a misconception to claim that we had decided to reduce female representation,” he said.

TNA MP M A Sumanthiran too noted that it had been agreed upon to implement the new law as it is and that if a situation arises where it is impossible to set up a council, the Parliament would seek to resolve the matter.

“There was no decision taken to act outside the current law or to amend the law to deal with the situation that has already arisen,” Sumanthiran said. Meanwhile, Joint Opposition Parliamentary group leader, MP Dinesh Gunawardana, pointed out that deliberated before the Elections Commission that if the if in a council the number of females were low but the Party had over 50 of the Member, such an local body could legitimately be established.

“In such instances, there is no obstacle of which list these members came from. Other than that we never discussed about changing any other law,” MP Gunawardana said.

Thereafter, Speaker Jayasuriya agreed to notify the relevant media institutes to rectify their errors where false claims were made regarding the new law being abolished.

“I will instruct my Secretary to direct these media institutes to rectify the matter,” he said.  

(SG)