Lanka JVP claims electoral reform seeks to marginalise them

The new system to be put in place to elect local government representatives in Sri Lanka is aimed at marginalising small parties, the country's main Marxist party JVP alleged today.
Elections for over 300 local councils in the island nation have been put on hold since 2015 for want of a new electoral system replacing the existing proportional representation system.
The new system with a mixture of first part and proportional representation would be advantageous only to the two national parties, the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told reporters.

"We are against this mixed system, we see it as an attempt to close the door for parties like us," Dissanayake said.
The government which kept postponing the election said last week it was on the verge of gazeting the new system.
The new system's formulation has taken a long time for want of delimitation of electoral wards.

"We understand there were issues with delimitation but similarly action must be taken to free the new system of its own flaws," Dissanayake said, adding that there was a likelihood that interested parties may go to courts against the new system thereby further delaying the implementation of the new system and with it the local council election.

"This is why we say that this election must be held under the existing system," Dissanayake said.
The JVP which led two bloody rebellions to overthrow the government through revolution entered the democratic mainstream in 1994.
They have won representation in all elected bodies thanks to the proportional representation system.
The party stands no chance of winning any under first past the post system.