20A – not a ploy to delay elections

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

The unending debate over establishing a new electoral system through the 20th Amendment should not be used as a ploy to delay elections, said UNP General Secretary and Minister of Highways and Investment Promotion, Kabir Hashim.

Rushing into an election, under a new electoral system will create problems for the country, Hashim said. “In any country, a new electoral system would take some time to establish itself, allowing people to be familiar with it. It needs to be mapped through a Commission ensuring that all are fairly represented. This is a tedious process,” he said.

The United National Party emphasised that the Constitutional Amendments needs to be the priority and not the increase in the number of Members to Parliament. “Sri Lanka has the highest number of parliamentarians compared to its population density. The majority of the public don’t want an increase in the number of MPs,” Hashim said.