Sri Lanka EC Rules Out Early Election
Colombo, May 11: The Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Election Commission has ruled out early parliamentary polls, saying in remarks published on Wednesday that the time was not right for an electoral battle amid clouds of violence.
Nimal Punchihewa told The Island newspaper that the poll panel “strongly believed the time was not opportune for a general election, and even before Monday’s calamity a general election wouldn’t have been feasible”.
“Therefore, there should be a consensus on an all-party interim mechanism to govern the country, and tangible measures had to be adopted to address economic woes with a recovery plan being put in place before an election can be conducted,” he added.
Punchihewa’s remarks came two days after an attack on anti-government protesters in Colombo by ruling party supporters triggered a violent almost island-wide reaction as mobs set fire to houses and offices of the SLPP (Sri Lanka People’s Front) and assaulted its leaders. At least eight people were killed and some 200 people injured in both rounds of violence.
Punchihewa added that the “extremely violent public reaction” to the attacks on those who had been demanding the resignation of the government for over a month “is a grave warning to political parties represented in Parliament”.
He also called for political, electoral and constitutional reforms to address the issues at hand.
A former member of the Human Rights Commission, Punchihewa said: “Financial discipline and enactment of laws are of pivotal importance. Such measures cannot be delayed further against the backdrop of widespread violence against lawmakers.”
He admitted that the political party system in Sri Lanka was in crisis. Widespread protests have gripped Sri Lanka since early April demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government over the country’s worst economic crisis that have led to widespread shortages of essential commodities including food, fuel and medicines. On Monday, amid the violence, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned. The entire Cabinet followed suit.
