Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Prof. Chandana Abeyratne yesterday (03) said that the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance had to be amended to end political chaos in local councils.
Prof. Abeyratne pointed out that the failure of 178 Local Government authorities to commence operations on 02 June underscored the urgent need to take remedial measures. Of the 339 local government bodies to which elections were held on May 06, terms of only 161 could commence on 02 June.
The Minister said so in response to The Island query whether the NPP government acknowledged the urgent requirement to introduce a stable system. According to Prof. Abeyratne, the issue has been discussed at the relevant consultative committee and both the government and the Opposition essentially reached consensus on the necessity to restore stability.
Prof. Abeyratne asserted that the outcome of ongoing battles for178 local government bodies in administrative limbo did not reflect the public mood. Those Councils couldn’t start functioning until their heads were elected the councillors, Prof. Abeyratne said.
The NPP and the SJB, striving to muster majorities in hung Councils, have repeatedly accused each other of bribing elected councillors of other parties as well as independent group members.
Prof. Abeyratne said that Local Government polls had to be conducted without delay in view of the Supreme Court directive issued to the Election Commission in the run-up to the September 2024 presidential election.
The Supreme Court five-judge-bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, on August 22, 2024, directed the Election Commission to make the necessary arrangements to hold the Local Government elections at the earliest possible date.
The Supreme Court declared that the Fundamental Rights of the petitioners and the citizens of the country have been violated by the authorities, including the Minister of Finance, the Election Commission and the Attorney General, by not holding the Local Government elections that were scheduled for March 9, 2023.
Petitioners were Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, National People’s Power (NPP) Parliamentarian Harini Amarasuriya, the Centre for Policy Alternatives and the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL).
Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, one-time head of the election monitoring body CaFFE, said that political parties had to take a fresh look at the Local Authorities Election Ordinance, along with three key amendments, namely Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act No 22 of 2012, Act No 01 of 2016 and Act No 16 of 2017.
In terms of the Act No 16 of 2017, mixed proportional local authorities election meant that 60 percent of councillors were elected on a ward basis and the rest on proportional basis, Tennakoon said.
Commenting on the inordinate delay in the election of the heads of 178 bodies, Tennakoon said that horse-trading caused immense damage to local authorities. Negotiations at local government level have a bearing on parliamentary politics, too, Tennakoon said, adding that those who had been defeated could be appointed through the list though the elected couldn’t be deprived the opportunity of serving Councils.
Tennakoon emphasised the importance of ensuring stipulated women representation, whatever the amendments proposed in the future. The civil society activist pointed out that in some areas in the Northern and Eastern provinces, political parties found it difficult to nominate a stipulated number of women for both categories – ward and proportional basis – for want of adequate Muslim representation.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
