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| Sunday, 5 October 2003 |
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Indian expertise for local electoral reforms by P. Krishnaswamy The 19-member Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform (PSCEF) will explore the possibility of combining the PR system with the first-past-the post system, for a more effective electoral representation. PSCEF headed by Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) leader and PA parliamentarian, Dinesh Gunawardena, which held four sessions since its inception last month is to meet again tomorrow to hear submissions of Dr. Kingsley Rodrigo, Executive Director of the People's Movement for Fair and Free Elections (PAFFREL) and Russel Kuruppu, President of the Association of Election Professionals of Sri Lanka (AEPSL) which represents Sri Lanka's prominent election officials and administrators. Two of India's top authorities on election systems and law, the present Chief Elections Commissioner, J.M. Lyndow and his predecessor, K.K. Jill will be here shortly to apprise the Committee on Indian election system, especially their Election Commission. Commenting on the proposed visit of the two Indian election experts, PSCER Chairman Dinesh Gunawardena MP told the "Sunday Observer" they were 'specially looking forward to their briefing on the Election Commission of India since Sri Lanka's efforts to set up a similar body was not successful'. MPs to represent specific geographical areas similar to the former electoral system has come up as a special issue for discussion, he said. Further explaining about the meetings so far held, he said that they had long sessions with the Citizens' Movement for Good Governance (CIMOGG) whose submissions were based on a 'new thinking'. The two-day briefing by the Commissioner of Elections, Dayananda Dissanayake, was comprehensive accompanaied by documents and was very much appreciated by the members of the Committee, he said. The production of NICs to prevent impersonage during elections was one area where they had gone a long way, he said, adding that written memoranda from members of the public and organisations were now being stipulated into different categories and some of them may be called before the Committee to make their submissions. According to an official of the PSCER, over 100 such memoranda were received in response to their media advertisement. Ceylon Workers' Congress parliamentarian R. Yogarajan said that production of NICs both for registrations in the Voters' List and voting would not be practicable in the case of plantation workers since a good percentage of them had not got the NICs for want of Birth Certificates. Many of the plantation managements which changed hands several times were not maintaining the relevant records, he said. Measures to get over this problem are being considered in consultation with both the Commisioner for Registration of Persons and the Registrar General of Births and Deaths who too appeared before the PSCER. Meanwhile, PAFFREL Executive Director, Dr. Kingsley Rodrigo, who is to appear before the Committee tomorrow said that their main proposals will be reforms to the Electoral Registers, abolition of all minor political parties that are not represented in Parliament and transparency as well as accountability of political parties to the public. |
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