The Cabinet of Ministers have approved the proposal to prepare the draft bill to conduct the upsomcing provincial council election, under the former proportional representation method while ensuring 25% female representation, for this time only.
Co-Cabinet Spokesman Mahinda Samarasinghe announced this today (14), at the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department.
Provision should be made promptly for Provincial Council Election, since 6 out of 9 provincial councils have already completed their official terms, he said.
He said that the Electoral Divisions determination process which is essential for conducting elections under the Mixed Member Proportional Representation method introduced under Provincial Council Elections Act No. 2 of 1988 amended by the provincial council elections (Amendment Act) no 17 of 2017, has not been accomplished up to now.
Considering the need of conducting Provincial Council Election immediately, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by Minister of Provincial Council, Local Government and Sports, Faizer Musthapa, to prepare bills to conduct provincial council election, under the former proportional representation method ensuring 25% female representation for this time only.
Meanwhile the Cabinet has also decided to provide school uniform material for school children instead of vouchers for next year (2019).
The Co-Cabinet spokesman said that authenticating the equal opportunities in education, the government has provided school uniform cloth to approximately 45 lakh of all school students over 25 years since 1993.
It is understood that former system of providing school uniform cloth collected from local manufactures is more profitable than the “Gift Voucher” system practiced by the government recently, he claimed.
Considering the Rs. 50 profit per 1 meter of cloth and saving foreign exchange by purchasing cloth from local manufacturers, the Cabinet of Ministers Approved the proposal presented by Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapaksha, to provide school uniform cloth for 2019.
