Speaker appoints five-member expert committee on Provincial Council Elections

The five-member expert committee to address issues pertaining to the Provincial Council Election was appointed yesterday under the leadership of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The four appointments were Prof.Balasundaram Pillai, Dr. A.S.M. Naufal, R.M.A.L. Rathnayake and Periyasami Muthulingam.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya made these appointments in accordance with Section 4(12) of the Provincial Council Elections (amendment) Act 17 of 2017. 

The Committee began officially functioning yesterday.

Apart from Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, the members of the committee consistof non-political individuals. 

Speaker Jayasuriya decided to appoint the five-member expert committee following the rejection of the report of the Delimitation Committee in Parliament last Friday. 

The report was rejected by Parliament after 139 parliamentarians voted against it in Parliament, including subject minister Faiszer Musthapha and members of the Yahapalanaya Government. 

A key proposal of the Delimitation Report was to conduct the Provincial Council Election under the new mixed electoral system which was followed during the Local Government election earlier this year. 

Parliamentarians from both sides of the aisle were critical of the mixed electoral system, with some charging that it was a corrupt method. 

As a result of the Delimitation Report being rejected by Parliament, the provincial council election will be held under the preferential system.

The five-member expert committee is to look into the matter and submit a report by the end of October if Provincial Council Elections are to be held in January 2019. (SG)