• Elected members to be reduced from 8,000 to 4,000
• Executive powers of chairmen to be pruned to be vested with a committee
• Referendum if no agreement by parliamentary committee on general elections 

 By Yohan Perera 

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that a referendum will be called to decide on the parliamentary electoral system if the Select Committee which is proposed to be established fails to reach a decision on the matter by July next year.

He made this observation during a discussion with a group of professionals held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.  

The President said that the desired changes to the political system should be brought about in accordance with the aspirations of the people, as the majority of the population in the country rejects the existing political system. He added that accordingly, he expects to reduce the number of council members of local authorities (Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas) from 8,000 to 4,000 and to implement the Jana Sabha system, before the next election.

He said further that the executive power of the Pradeshiya Sabha should be vested on a chairman-based committee instead of same being vested on a single chairman. Laws will be drafted for this amendment before the next Pradeshiya Sabha election.

Pointing out that the main cause of political corruption is the Preferential Vote System, the President said that the country should immediately switch to a list based electoral system with non-preferential votes or a mixed system (single and proportional system). Limitations should also be imposed by the election law on the money spent on election propaganda.

• The country should immediately switch to a list based electoral system with non-preferential votes or a mixed system (single and proportional system)