Private Members Bills on Elections

COLOMBO (News 1st); 03 private member's bills containing proposals for amending the laws related to the electoral system of Sri Lanka were presented to the Parliament on Wednesday (06) as a private members’ bill by the Member of Parliament Imtiaz Bakeer Markar.

Accordingly, the Bills to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 1 of 1981, the Provincial Council Elections Act No. 2 of 1988, and the Bill to amend the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance No. 53 of 1946 were presented to the parliament.

Thus, the need to provide opportunity to the youth candidates below the age of 35 to represent the above institutions is emphasized through these amendment proposals.

Accordingly, it has been suggested that when submitting a nomination paper in the parliamentary elections or provincial council elections, each political party or independent group shall ensure that not less than one fourth of the total number of candidates to be nominated for the electoral district, and not less than one fourth of the total number of candidates in the district list, shall be youth candidates.

In a Local Authorities Elections, when submitting nominations by each political party and independent group, it is proposed that not less than one fourth of the total number of candidates to be nominated for the local authority, and not less than one fourth of the total number of candidates in the district list, shall be youth candidates.