Sri Lanka’s Muslim party, All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), yesterday called for the President and the Prime Minister to unite for a stable government.
Riding on its latest electoral victory in the recent local government polls, the ACMC, led by Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, called for political stability within the government while promptly and strongly denouncing the latest Mixed Electoral System used in the polls.
“We call for our two leaders to unite for a stable government,” voiced the Leader of ACMC Minister Bathiudeen (MP) on Tuesday (20), addressing an ACMC press briefing in Colombo.
Minister Bathiudeen said the Mixed Electoral System, which has been used for the first time in the recent local elections, favors the two major political parties in Sir Lanka and deprives the minor political parties. He called for bringing back the Preferential Electoral System that was used earlier in elections.
“ACMC believes that the Mixed Electoral System has been introduced to favor the two major parties in Sri Lanka and to politically deprive minority and smaller political parties by them. We denounce changing Sri Lanka’s electoral systems in this way as per the whims and fancies of those in power so that it works only for them. The problems and effects of the new MES system is already evident with nearly half of them tied and hanging without a clear winner and unable to form their administrations,” the Minister said.
“Therefore we at ACMC call for reverting back to Preferential Electoral System immediately where an elected member can oversee and be responsible for not just his electorate but is free to work for a much larger area,” he said.
When pointed out that the new MES has helped his ACMC to increase their local government seats nearly four-fold and bring their previous low 44 seats to a huge 166, Minister Bathiudeen while agreeing with the result stressed that any change in the electoral system should be for the benefit and development of the people and the country and not for any political parties, including ACMC.
Asked of ACMC’s way forward with the unity government amid developing political instability, he said: We call for our two leaders to unite for a stable government. We support and call for (such a) a stable government.”
ACMC contested in 15 Districts in the latest local polls, and increased its winning local seats by a huge 277% to 166 from the previous total of 44. ACMC contested alone in some areas while in others, with the UNP, and in many locations in Eastern Province contested with United Peace Alliance led by Hassan Ali.
ACMC won 34 seats in Mannar, and another 12 in Mullaitivu and formed three Pradeshiya Sabhas in Mannar-Museli PS, Mantai West PS and Mannar PS.
According Minister Bathiudeen, ACMC is currently working to form five Pradeshiya Sabhas in East after winning 64 seats in the Province-32 in Ampara, 18 in Trincomalee, and 14 in Batticaloa. ACMC won two in Kalutara, one in Jaffna, 20 in Vavuniya, 12 in Mullaitivu, 12 in Puttalam, 8 in Kandy, 5 in Kurunegala, 4 in Anuradhapura, one in Gampaha, one in Kilinochchi, and 2 in Colombo. This is also the first time ACMC contested in Kurunegala, Kandy and Kalutara Districts.
Total votes received by ACMC in all 15 Districts are still being calculated, though it has polled a little over 180,000 in six identified Districts so far.
