News

Voting at elections should be made compulsory – Sajith Premadasa

Published

11 months ago

2025/11/14

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says voting should be made compulsory

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa has suggested that voting at future elections in Sri Lanka should be made compulsory. Admitting that his suggestion was revolutionary and had its pros and cons, but hoped it would become a reality.

He has also suggested that elections be held within a fixed term like in the USA and the necessary funding provided on time.

The leader of the opposition made these suggestions while speaking at a ceremony organised by the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) held last Monday [10] to felicitate outgoing Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake.

Complimenting the Election Commission which was named the Best Electoral Commission in the World at a ceremony hosted by the Independent Electoral Commission of Botswana and the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) a few weeks ago, Premadasa said that ECSL could be described as a center of excellence in the modern democratic world.

Compulsory voting, also known as universal civic duty voting or mandatory voting. Australia was the first country to introduce it for a national election. As of January 2023, 21 countries have compulsory voting laws. Compulsory voting results in a higher degree of political legitimacy based on higher voter turnout and a more representative electorate.

Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies [IRES] said that introducing compulsory voting had been discussed before but it was the first time that a member of parliament suggested it at an open forum.

Welcoming the suggestion, Gajanayake said that as there was no provision for advance voting or absentee voting in Sri Lanka a considerable number of registered voters abstained from voting. He said that at the 2024 Parliamentary poll, 5,325,008 voters (31.07% of the 17,140,354 registered voters did not exercise their franchise compared to the 2020 Parliamentary poll at which 23.11% of the 16,283,885 registered voters did not vote.

At the 2024 Presidential poll 3,520,338 voters [20.54% of the 17,140,554 voters] did not vote. Gajanayake said that as a single vote could change the outcome of an election the opposition leader’s suggestion should be acknowledged positively.

Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections [CaFFE] Manas Makeen who was in the audience hailed the opposition leader for his bold suggestion. He pointed out that the Election Commission as well as election monitoring missions including CaFFE have continuously campaigned to encourage voters to exercise their franchise and added that when a high percentage of registered voters do not exercise their franchise, one cannot expect a proper democratic representation in the elected body.

The audience at Monday’s event comprised Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, former speaker Karu Jayasuriya, past and present members of parliament, secretaries of political parties, heads of election monitoring missions and non-government organisations, past and present commissioners of the Election Commission and well-wishers.

Text and picture by PRIYAN DE SILVA ✍️

All News Advertisement

News

Thileepan rembered on 39th death anniversary

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/26

Priyan

(Pic by PRIYAN DE SILVA)

A commemorative service was held in memory of Rasaiah Parthipan commonly known by the nom de guerre ‘Thileepan’ in Nallur Jaffna this morning (26).

Parthipan a revolutionary member of the LTTE and a student of the University of Jaffna, commenced a hunger strike on 15th September 1987 untill his death on 26th September 1987. He was 23 years old at the time of his demise.

Latest News

Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

Published

19 hours ago

2026/09/26

Priyan

The National Building Research Institute has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 16:00 hrs on 25.09.2026 To 16:00 hrs on 26.09.2026

Accordingly,
LEVEL III [RED] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Neluwa, Nagoda, Niyagama and Thawalama inthe Galle district, Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa and Pasbage Korale in the Kandy district, and Kothmale West, Ambagamuwa, Kotmale East and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II [AMBER] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Elpitiya, Baddegama and Karandeniya in the Galle district, Walallawita in the Kalutara district, Deltota, Udunuwara, Gangawata Korale, Yatinuwara and Panvila in the Kandy district, Aranayake, Dehiowita, Mawanella, Deraniyagala and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district, Thalawakelle in the Nuwara Eliya district and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I [YELLOW] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colombo district, Attanagalla and Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Katuwana and Walasmulla in the Hambanthota district, Ingiriya and Bulathsinhala in the Kalutara district, Hatharaliyadda, Poojapitiya, Medadumbara, Kundasale, Ududumbara, Thumpane, Akurana, Pathadumbara, Harispattuwa and Pathahewaheta in the Kandy district, Warakapola, Bulathkohupitiya, Galigamuwa, Kegalle and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle district, Mallawapitiya, Alawwa, Polgahawela and Mawathagama in the Kegalle district, Pitabeddara, Kotapola and Pasgoda in the Matara district, Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Elapatha, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Kuruwita and Kalawana in the Ratnapura district

News

22A, Judicature Amendment Bills passed with 2/3 majority

Published

21 hours ago

2026/09/26

Thilina Walpola

Parliament yesterday passed the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill with two-thirds majorities, with 158 MPs voting in favour and 63 against each Bill.

The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted with the SJB against the Bills.

NDF MPs Ravi Karunanayake and Faizer Musthapha and SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilaka were not present when the votes were taken.

The final vote on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill was announced at around 8.08 p.m. after Opposition MPs called for divisions on its clauses during the Committee Stage.

The votes followed a two-day debate which commenced on Thursday (24), after Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the Bills for their Second Reading.

The Supreme Court’s determination on the Bills was presented to Parliament on Tuesday (22) by Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. The Court determined that the 22nd Amendment Bill did not require approval at a referendum and could be passed by a special two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The amendment provides for raising the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65. It also provides for the Chief Justice to retire at 67 or after completing six years in office, whichever comes earlier.

The Speaker informed Parliament that the Judicature (Amendment) Bill could be passed by a simple majority.

The SJB opposed the legislation and its MPs attended Parliament dressed in black yesterday. The party also staged a protest at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla, under the theme “No to 22, which destroys democracy”, with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several SJB politicians participating.