Speaker appoints 5 member committee to review delimitation report

Colombo (News1st) - Speaker of Parliment Karu Jayasuriya appointed a 5 member committee chaired by the Prime Minister to review the provincial council's delimitation report. The delimitation report which cost the taxpayer a sum of Rs 21.2 million, was defeated in Parliament recently. Surprisingly even the subject minister who tabled this report in Parliament votes against it. R.M.L.Rathnayake, Periyasami Muththulingam, Professor Balasundaram Pille and Dr. A. S.M. Naufel are the members of the committee appointed by the speaker. The Office of the speaker announced that the committee was appointed as per the powers of the Provincial council's elections amendment act. A number of views were expressed today as well regarding the report being defeated. UPFA MP Shehan Semasinghe believes that the function of the 5 member committee that was named by the Speaker is purely to fulfil a political need. While stating that the committee is not independent, Semasinghe noted that attempts are being made to prolong the delimitation process in accordance with the wishes of Sirikotha. Joint Opposition (JO) member MP Udaya Gammanpila states that this is yet another drama being acted out on a national level by the Government. He noted that the Government is employing these tactics to delay the elections because they don't want to hold an election knowing that they will suffer defeat. UNP backbencher Mujibur Rahman speaking to the media today stated that the Government has the option of choosing which election system they would adopt for the Provincial Council polls adding that it will take some time for the election to be held under the new system. He noted that both the UNP and the JO are in favour of conducting the election under the old system and that if they unite forces they will be able to reach a unanimous decision in Parliament to hold the Provincial Council polls under the preferential voting system. Meanwhile, a group including Asela Sampath, the  National Organizer of the all Ceylon canteen owners association, lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption on Tuesday (Aug 28th), calling on the commission to investigate the process followed in creating the delimitation report.