September 04, Colombo (LNW): The Cabinet of Ministers has granted provisions to re-open nominations to protect the fundamental rights of voters who were previously deprived of their right to vote and be nominated for the upcoming Local Government elections, Cabinet Spokesman and Mass Media Minister, Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana announced. He was addressing the media at the Government Information Department yesterday.
Minister Gunawardhana highlighted that over 900,000 newly registered voters in the 2024 revised electoral list are at risk of losing their right to vote and be nominated in the forthcoming Local Government elections, which were initially scheduled for September 3, 2023, but have since been postponed. According to Article 4 of the Constitution, every citizen who turns 18 and is listed on the electoral register is eligible to vote; however, due to the delayed election, only those registered up to January 2023 can cast their votes.
Additionally, with the passing of the Local Government Elections (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 2023, a mandatory 25% youth representation is required in nominations submitted for Local Government elections. This requirement has been compromised due to the initial call for nominations in 2023, which did not account for the amended provisions.
To address these concerns, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a consolidated proposal submitted by the Prime Minister, in his capacity as the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government, along with the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms. The proposal aims to:
- Ensure that voters listed on the revised 2024 electoral register can vote in the upcoming Local Government elections.
- Protect the rights of over 900,000 youth voters newly registered in 2024 who might otherwise be excluded.
- Safeguard the rights of the youth community to receive their mandatory 25% representation quota as required by the Local Government Elections (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 2023.
The approved proposal includes calling back the nominations already submitted for the 2023 Local Government elections and instructing the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill on local government elections (special provisions). This draft bill will grant the Elections Commission the necessary authority to call for new nominations based on the 2024 electoral register, in consultation with the relevant Commission.
