The Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) has alleged that the opposition political parties’ campaign against the recently passed Electricity (Amendment) Bill is inadequate.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, ECA General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said that only 25 Parliamentarians voted against the Bill during the second reading in Parliament, calling the Opposition’s efforts “very insufficient” given the social and economic impact of the legislation.

“We suspect some opposition members may also benefit from the Bill. Their opposition to the Bill, both inside and outside Parliament, was far from enough. We even met with Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya Leader Sajith Premadasa to inform him about the harmful consequences this act could bring. However, at least 50 MPs did not vote against the Bill.” he said.

The Electricity (Amendment) Bill was passed with a majority of 96 votes in Parliament on 6 August, following an earlier second reading that received 121 votes in favour and 25 against.

The Bill, introduced by the Government earlier this year, faced challenges in the Supreme Court (SC) after petitions were filed by several parties including the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union. On 30 June, Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih informed Parliament that the SC found several clauses in the Bill inconsistent with the Constitution. The Court’s determination noted that these clauses require approval by a special majority in Parliament and a public referendum to be enacted in their current form. However, the Deputy Speaker clarified that the Bill would no longer face constitutional issues if amended according to the SC’s recommendations.

Civil Society Organisations and energy sector experts have also criticised the Government for moving away from the State Owned Enterprise (SOE) reforms agenda.

Prior to the Bill’s passage in the Parliament, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) had informed the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Infrastructure and Strategic Development that the Bill would severely violate the rights of electricity consumers. The commission had warned that if the Bill is passed, consumers would have to go to court even for minor issues, as the commission’s authority to receive and handle public complaints would be abolished through the Bill.