Sri Lanka President gives six months for parliament to decide on electoral reforms; If not will seek referendum

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has given an ultimatium to the political parties to decide on electoral reforms.

"I'm going to call the parliament to say once and for all that they must agree on electoral reform. This has been going on. The parties are arguing among themselves. I give them six months. If they don't, I'll have a referendum and ask the country which system they want. The political parties can't be putting this off forever. They have to bite the bullet at some stage. So, if they are not willing, I have not told them yet. I will go for a referendum on the major reforms," said the President, quoted by the President's Media Dovision.

He said this during the meeting with the visiting Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Samantha Power who is currently in Sri Lanka on a two-day official visit.

The President also said that former Speaker Karu Jayasooriya and Victor Ivan have come up with the concept of People's Councils at grassroots level. 

“We are giving them support, whatever finance they require. And officials at grassroots level have been asked to promote the concepts. So, it will be done not by us. And that's a request, even with the Galle Face Green that the people at Village level must be allowed to express their views. So, there will be 14,000 people's councils in the 14,000 basic units,” said the President.

He also noted that as far as democracy is concerned, the 22nd Amendment is before parliament. 

“We are waiting for the parliament to pass it. In administrations, we have brought out the first cabinet manual in Sri Lanka. Hence, that will have to go before the cabinet and we'll establish procedures for the whole of the cabinet. The oversight committees are back again and we'll be looking forward to support from the USA,” said President Wickremesinghe.

The President also said that increased economic committees from Public Finance, committee on Public Accounts, committee on Public Enterprise to include the Ways and Means Committee, committee on Banking and Finance because the banking sector is relatively weak and the Committee on State Enterprise Restructuring, they will start a parliamentary budget office and for the first time, legislative research service in Parliament.