In a new development, government coalition partner, the National Freedom Front (NFF), led by Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa, has suggested to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms that the number of parliamentarians sent to Parliament as National List MPs should be reduced to 5% of the total number of MPs, with the aim of protecting the people’s sovereignty in Parliamentary Elections.
At present, Sri Lanka’s Parliament consists of 29 National List MPs, who are appointed by the political parties that get elected to the Parliament, depending on their share of votes, and they constitute 12.8% of the total number of MPs.
The National List was predominantly introduced with the aim of including in the country’s main law-making and governing mechanism, intellectuals and professionals who do not have a voter base to enter the Parliament or do not wish to be a part of the conventional political arena filled with canvassing and controversy. Another objective was to allow more female and minority group representation who do not have a strong voter base to enter the Parliament through the traditional voting system.
The intention of introducing the National List system was admirable. However, in practical terms, there is a pressing concern as to whether the purpose for which the National List was introduced has been served. Most of the National List MPs who entered the Parliament during the past few decades have clearly failed to serve that purpose despite being intellectuals and professionals expected to represent underrepresented communities and to bring in knowledge and experience most elected MPs do not have. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has seen even renowned National List MPs who have a lot to contribute to the country through the Parliament, assuming the qualities of conventional politicians, whose inadequacies National List MPs are ideally expected to rectify. What is more, reappointing MPs who lost in elections, i.e. public representatives rejected by the people, due to various reasons including inadequate performance, has become a common trend in the recent past, and almost all major political parties have done that. It is similar to solutions becoming part of the problem.
Even though the NFF’s proposal seems to be a viable step to reduce the number of MPs whose appointment the public did not approve of through a vote, whether that is an effective solution, is in question. Understanding the true issue, therefore, is of extreme importance. The real issue Sri Lanka’s governing system is facing when it comes to the concept of National List MPs is less about the number, and has more to do with the contribution rendered by them, and therefore, merely cutting down on the number of such MPs would have little effect, even if it was properly implemented. Boosting the quality of the contributions and ensuring accountability, instead, should receive priority.
In order to do that, Sri Lanka will have to take stricter and more policy-based decisions, such as introducing new laws and policies to assess and stipulate the qualifications and role of National List MPs, and at the same time, evaluate and enhance their contribution. Even though support from mainstream political parties for such a measure may vary, doing so would result in more professional expertise in decisions taken in Parliament. The implementation of these measures may, however, be challenging, as is the case in existing laws and regulations aimed at holding elected MPs accountable and to evaluate their performance.
It should also be noted that laws and regulations will not be sufficient to achieve tangible improvements in this connection. A change of attitudes of the political parties that appoint National List MPs as well as those of National List MPs regarding their role needs to be changed, and ways that the role can be politicised and rendered ineffective also need to be addressed.
At the end of the day, the Parliament is where the public’s sentiments are voiced and the public’s sovereignty is upheld, and that place needs to include representatives elected by the public as well as National List MPs, who even though not elected, can actually add some expertise and professional experience to the Parliament’s role.
The problems list of the National List
27 Oct 2021
The problems list of the National List
27 Oct 2021
In a new development, government coalition partner, the National Freedom Front (NFF), led by Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa, has suggested to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms that the number of parliamentarians sent to Parliament as National List MPs should be reduced to 5% of the total number of MPs, with the aim of protecting the people’s sovereignty in Parliamentary Elections.
At present, Sri Lanka’s Parliament consists of 29 National List MPs, who are appointed by the political parties that get elected to the Parliament, depending on their share of votes, and they constitute 12.8% of the total number of MPs.
The National List was predominantly introduced with the aim of including in the country’s main law-making and governing mechanism, intellectuals and professionals who do not have a voter base to enter the Parliament or do not wish to be a part of the conventional political arena filled with canvassing and controversy. Another objective was to allow more female and minority group representation who do not have a strong voter base to enter the Parliament through the traditional voting system.
The intention of introducing the National List system was admirable. However, in practical terms, there is a pressing concern as to whether the purpose for which the National List was introduced has been served. Most of the National List MPs who entered the Parliament during the past few decades have clearly failed to serve that purpose despite being intellectuals and professionals expected to represent underrepresented communities and to bring in knowledge and experience most elected MPs do not have. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has seen even renowned National List MPs who have a lot to contribute to the country through the Parliament, assuming the qualities of conventional politicians, whose inadequacies National List MPs are ideally expected to rectify. What is more, reappointing MPs who lost in elections, i.e. public representatives rejected by the people, due to various reasons including inadequate performance, has become a common trend in the recent past, and almost all major political parties have done that. It is similar to solutions becoming part of the problem.
Even though the NFF’s proposal seems to be a viable step to reduce the number of MPs whose appointment the public did not approve of through a vote, whether that is an effective solution, is in question. Understanding the true issue, therefore, is of extreme importance. The real issue Sri Lanka’s governing system is facing when it comes to the concept of National List MPs is less about the number, and has more to do with the contribution rendered by them, and therefore, merely cutting down on the number of such MPs would have little effect, even if it was properly implemented. Boosting the quality of the contributions and ensuring accountability, instead, should receive priority.
In order to do that, Sri Lanka will have to take stricter and more policy-based decisions, such as introducing new laws and policies to assess and stipulate the qualifications and role of National List MPs, and at the same time, evaluate and enhance their contribution. Even though support from mainstream political parties for such a measure may vary, doing so would result in more professional expertise in decisions taken in Parliament. The implementation of these measures may, however, be challenging, as is the case in existing laws and regulations aimed at holding elected MPs accountable and to evaluate their performance.
It should also be noted that laws and regulations will not be sufficient to achieve tangible improvements in this connection. A change of attitudes of the political parties that appoint National List MPs as well as those of National List MPs regarding their role needs to be changed, and ways that the role can be politicised and rendered ineffective also need to be addressed.
At the end of the day, the Parliament is where the public’s sentiments are voiced and the public’s sovereignty is upheld, and that place needs to include representatives elected by the public as well as National List MPs, who even though not elected, can actually add some expertise and professional experience to the Parliament’s role.
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!