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Proposed LG reforms will reduce female representation, claims HR group

10 Mar 2022

BY Dinitha Rathnayake The Centre for Human Rights and Research (CHR) called on all stakeholders to oppose the attempt made through the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Government’s proposal to amend the electoral system to reduce female representation in the local government (LG). Releasing an official statement in this regard, the organisation pointed out that the proposed amendment would reduce the representation of females from 25% to 16%. At present, there is 25% representation of females in the LG. No matter what the founders of the new electoral system say, if the new system is implemented, the representation of females will inevitably fall to 16%, the CHR claimed. The CHR therefore requested that all women’s organisations and civil society organisations unite to defeat the LG electoral reform that reduces the representation of females in the LG. “By 1965, there were 9,000 members and councillors in the LG bodies and today, over 56 years later, the population of the country has increased by around 10 million but the number of members and councillors is 8,711. The purpose of the motion is to distort the proportional representation (PR) of the electoral system, thus creating an issue and crisis that does not exist in the current LG system,” the CHR stated.  “There are 2,002 female members and councillors in LG bodies. It is 22.98% of the total number of members in Parliament. Even in the present LG bodies, the representation of females is not entirely 25%. Out of the 5,077 LG divisions, only 554 divisions (10.9%) have been won by females. It was possible to increase the representation of females in the LG authorities to 25% by mandating the number of seats held under the proportional system.  “Of the 3,634 elected members and councillors, 1,448 (40%) are females. Political party leaders and secretaries had to appoint 40% of females to the number of elected members and councillors, but this was not done voluntarily, but only because it was made mandatory. Further, the removal of the overhang in the proposed new electoral amendment removes 385 seats from the opportunity afforded to political parties’ general secretaries to appoint females.”

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