August 12, Colombo (LNW): Former Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya has renewed calls for the introduction of a dedicated youth quota in both parliamentary and provincial council elections, arguing that meaningful youth participation is essential to revitalising the country’s political landscape.
Speaking to the media on the eve of International Youth Day, Deshapriya expressed concern over the limited space available for young voices in mainstream politics. While local government elections currently include provisions to ensure youth representation, no such mechanism exists at higher levels of governance.
“Young people need democracy, and democracy, in turn, needs young people,” he remarked, stressing that without a generational shift in political involvement, democratic institutions risk becoming disconnected from the evolving needs of society.
Deshapriya’s appeal is receiving growing support from civic organisations such as Volunteer Initiatives for Election Watch (VIEW) and the Association of Friendship and Love (AFRIEL).
Both groups are set to launch awareness campaigns on Tuesday in several districts—including Jaffna, Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Nuwara Eliya, Colombo, Gampaha, Matara and Hambantota—to draw public attention to the issue of youth underrepresentation.
