March 12, Colombo (LNW): In anticipation of the upcoming national elections, the government has initiated fresh endeavours to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act, a Minister disclosed.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe recently tabled a Cabinet paper proposing the adoption of a mixed electoral system. Under this proposed system, 160 MPs would be elected through the First Past the Post (FPTP) System, while another 65 MPs would be elected via proportional representation (PR).
The FPTP system entails that the candidate securing the highest number of votes in a local constituency clinches a seat in the House. Conversely, PR aims to allocate parliamentary seats to parties in proportion to the total votes they receive.
Following its submission, the paper has been slated for discussion among representatives of various political parties in the legislature.
While some parties have expressed support for the proposals, others have voiced opposition, Rajapakshe told Daily Mirror.
Previous administrations have also endeavoured to reform the existing electoral system of proportional representation, yet legislative enactment has been elusive due to disparities among political factions.
Proportional representation has faced criticism for electoral irregularities. Consequently, there is speculation within political spheres regarding the timing of the government’s initiative to amend the electoral system, particularly with elections looming on the horizon.
