More women's representation through electoral reforms

COLOMBO: Under the proposed Electoral Reforms all political parties should grant nominations to a considerable number of women candidates in their nominations lists for Parliamentary, Provincial Council and Local Council elections to ensure more women representation in these institutions.

A three to one male female ratios should also be observed when party secretaries hand over the list of national list members of their parties in respect of these elections said Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister and Chairman, Parliamentary Electoral Reforms Committee Dinesh Gunawardena.

The Minister said this when he met a collective of women's organisations including the Lakbime Mawwaru Saha Diyaniyo organisation at the SLFI Colombo for a discussion regarding promotion of women's representation in political decision making institutions in the country recently.

Gunawardena listing other recommendations made by his Parliamentary electoral reforms committee said that they have also recommended measures to enable Sri Lankan Expatriate workers to exercise their votes from their countries of work by making arrangements with the respective Sri Lankan Embassies abroad.

They have also recommended that garment factory workers be given postal voting rights and that elections be held on a public holiday.

Gunawardena said it was public knowledge that the present system of elections was not beneficial to national development or the public welfare, moreover it involved a colossal wastage of funds. The present election system had failed to provide solutions to the country's burning problems either.

At the last elections all political parties had promised to change the electoral system if they were elected to power it was after coinciding all these factors that the Government decided to change the electoral system after consultations with all and sundry.

The process had now moved forward amidst various debates and dissenting views. The tide of people hopes and aspirations could not be turned back despite opposition by certain groups.

Gunawardena also said that the Parliamentary Electoral Reforms Committee had taken the proposals made by the Lakbime Mawwaru Saha Diyaniyo organisations too in drafting its own proposals.

Lakbime Mawwaru Saha Diyaniyo Organisations activist Nimalka Fernando and woman and media collective delegate Kumudhini Samuel and delegates of several other womens organisations were also present on the occasion.