SL Parliament to debate local government amendment bill

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 September 2010, 02:06 GMT]
The Local Government Election Amendment Bill that would introduce mixed electoral system will be tabled in Sri Lankan parliament in October for debate and approval, the SL Government Media Unit said Saturday.

The proposed Bill would introduce the first-past-the-post electoral system and the present current proportional representative system to conduct the next local government that is expected to be held in January 2011 in a single day, sources said.

Under the new local government amendment bill, two third members of each local government institution in the country would be elected on the first-past-the-post system and one third members would be elected under the proportional representative system.

On the recommendation of minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils A. L. M. Athaullah, the Cabinet on September 8 granted approval to amend the Local Government Elections Ordinance and the Municipal Council Ordinance, Urban Council Ordinance and the Pradeshiya Saba Act.