Accusations on shelving PR system 'baseless'

by P. Krishnaswamy

The accusations by some political leaders that shelving the Proportional Representation (PR) system under the new electoral system would deprive the minorities of adequate representation are baseless, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for Electoral Reforms Dinesh Gunawardena told the Sunday Observer.

All safety measures to ensure adequate representation of the minorities, including the re-demarcation of electorates, have been incorporated in the Bill, the Minister said.

The Local Government Elections (Amendment) Bill which was formulated after long deliberations at the PSC on Electoral Reforms have been approved and would be taken up at the committee stage discussions. The Voting in Parliament on it will take place soon, the Minister said.

The system which is a combination of 70 percent of the "First-Past-the-Post-System" and 30 percent PR system would also serve as a good model for future parliamentary and Provincial Council elections, he said.