Sri Lanka’s minorities have got a good deal from the Electoral Delimitation Committee, according to panel member Professor P. Balasundarampillai.

“The minorities have a good deal whether the constituency concerned is to elect a representative on the Proportional Representation System or the First Past the Post System,” he told Express on Tuesday.

“The interest of the parties of the majority community has also been safeguarded,” he noted, and added that the proceedings of the multi-party committee showed complete agreement on the principles adopted.

Any issues that still remain will be sorted out when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe meets all the political parties in parliament on January 9, Balasundarampillai said.

However, the process was disrupted when two of the five committee members representing the ruling United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Sirisena faction), did not sign the report.

Nevertheless, the chairman of the committee, Asoka Peiris, decided to submit the report because the majority of the members had signed it. He also wanted to meet the criticism that the committee was taking too much time over the report.  

But when it was submitted to Local Government Minister Faizer Mustapha he refused to accept it saying that two members had not signed it.

According to Prof. Balasundarampillai, the Minister said that the two members must say in writing, why they did not sign, or submit a dissenting note.

“I expect them to sign or do as the Minister said, in the next few days.  However, I believe the matter will be sorted out when the Prime Minister meets  the political parliament in parliament on January 9,” he said.

Source: The New Indian Express

-Agencies