News
PAFFREL calls upon Constitutional Council to make Election Commission financially independent
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Constitutional Council (CC) is responsible for creating a legal framework to ensure that independent commissions are financially independent, but even after 20 years the CC has not done this, says Executive Director of People’s Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Rohana Hettiarachchi .
Hettiarachchi told the media yesterday in Colombo that the public’s interest in democracy had dropped because there had been no elections.
The Election Commission had been appointed to ensure free and fair elections, but there were issues concerning the way the commissioners were appointed, Hettiarchchi said. “Some political interventions are subtle but they adversely affect the independence of the Commission.”
The PAFFREL Executive Director said that there was no legal or social guarantee for real independence of the commissions. The Constitutional Council needed to ensure a legislative framework to guard the elections commission from manipulation, but it had not evinced any interest in doing so, he said.
“Sri Lanka’s Elections Commission is not financially independent. It cannot access the money the parliament allocated for elections in 2023. According to the Constitution, the Executive must assist in holding elections. But the Executive can postpone elections according to his or her whims and fancies. We saw that a few months ago when the commission failed to hold local government polls.”
President Ranil Wickremesinghe had made it very clear that he did not want to hold a local council election, Hettiarachchi said.
“We need an electoral map. If we look at our electoral history, our presidents have changed the electoral map the way they wanted. They have held elections on a staggered basis, they have postponed elections and they have held early elections. All this was done for political expediency. However, in the past the voter had the chance to go to the polling centre and vote. Now, this right has been taken away,” Hettiarachchi said.
According to the CConstitution, to become Sri Lanka’s President, a candidate needs to get at least one more vote than 50 percent of the total valid vote. If a candidate fails to get this, the second preference will be counted. However, the political spectrum is scattered this time and there is a possibility that no candidate would obtain one more vote than 50 percent of the total valid vote, the PAFFREL Executive Director said.
It has been reported that, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, General Hamilton Wanasinghe has passed away at the age of 91.
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake has instructed relevant officials to provide the maximum support necessary to successfully hold the Global Bora Community’s Spiritual Assembly and Convention scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka.
The Secretary to the President issued these instructions during discussions held on Thursday (12) at the Presidential Secretariat regarding the Global Bora Conference and Convention.
The Bora Conference and Convention will be held from 27 June to 05 July, coinciding with the Bora Community’s Spiritual Assembly, centred on the Bambalapitiya Bora Mosque and the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre, with the participation of the community’s Spiritual Leader His Holiness Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin Sahib.
Approximately fifteen thousand members of the Bora Community from India and numerous other countries are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka for this Convention and Conference. Extensive discussions were held regarding the provision of all infrastructure facilities, including airport arrangements, for them.
A group of the Bora Community’s religious leaders, along with officials including the Secretary to the Foreign Ministry, Aruni Ranaraja and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, participated in this occasion.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has reached consensus with Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP), United National Party (UNP) and the People’s Alliance (PA) to take control of Akurana, Kadugannawa, Kuliyapitiya and Udubaddawa Pradeshiya Sabhas.
Opposition parties made the announcement at a joint media briefing by SJB National Organiser Tissa Attanayake, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, PA General Secretary Lasantha Alagiyawanna and UNP General Secretary Thalatha Athukorala.
Terms of 161 out of 339 local government bodies to which elections were held in May commenced on June 2. The ruling NPP and the Opposition parties have been trying to seize control of the remaining councils. Contestants failed to secure working majorities in 178 councils. Both sides have accused each other of trying to bribe elected members in a bid to take control of the councils.
Elections were not held to two local government institutions on 06 May—the Kalmunai Urban Council due to a court case and the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha (PS), which was elected last year.
Responding to questions, the Opposition spokespersons said that they were confident of forming administration and many more councils.
SJB sources said that the Opposition was also working on an arrangement regarding the Colombo Municipal Council scheduled to meet on Monday (16) for the first time when the Mayor will be elected.
Leader of Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Mano Ganeshan, MP, has alleged that the NPP bribed two of its members in the Haldumulla PS to vote in favour of the person nominated by the NPP as the chairman.
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