The gazette establishing the local councils have been postponed to March 20 on the request of the Elections Commission and the current situation with the quota of women representation, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faizer Mustapha Minister said.
The Minister in an effort to break the deadlock over meeting the 25 percent quota for women in many local councils, has asked the Elections Commission to ‘order’ rather than ‘appeal’ to political parties to appoint women through their lists to complete the quota, the Government Information Department said.
“We have informed the Elections Commission in writing that the quota should be protected and as a government, we are committed to the quota and are bound to protect it,” Minister Mustapha said, addressing a discussion held with women’s organizations at the Ministry yesterday.
Forty four women’s organizations around the country have written to the Minister asking the government to ensure the quota is protected.
Women and Media Collective, Executive Director, Dr Sepali Kottegoda who addressed the discussion, pointed out that their discussions with the Elections Commission had led them to believe that fulfilling the quota was purely in the hands of the political parties and that it would happen only if they decreed so.
The Minister has assured that all political parties are legally bound to protect the quota and if they ignore that responsibility, he will ask the Elections Commission to direct them to do it.
The Minister together with the women’s organizations` also proposed that a five member committee comprising of women from these organizations be appointed to look into the problems in the quota and the issues that women faced during the local government elections.
