The current moves through the Parliamentary Select Committee under the guise of electoral reforms is another subtle move to deprive the minorities of their legitimate representation in Parliament and to enhance the representation of the majority community in Parliament and to strengthen the majority rule in the country.

Under the 1978 constitution, the State power powers rests with an Executive President. This constitution, which was passed without the participation of the minority community and particularly without the participation of the Tamil community and thrust on the Tamil people, satisfies the aspirations of the majority community.

This constitution gives a pride of place to the Sinhala people and the Buddhist religion in the country. With the passage of the present constitution, certain provisions of the previous constitution that ensured justice and fair play to the minority communities became invalid law. But there are certain healthy provisions as well in this constitution.

lectoral system by which representatives are elected to the Parliament is one such laudable provision. In place of electing members to Parliament from electorates, this system paves the way for electing, members from a district basis and national basis through a proportionate representation, consequent to which the minorities are entitled to representation on the basis of ethnicity.

The minority communities, which cannot elect their representatives through a single electorate in view of their being scattered over several electorates here and there, are able to elect representatives on a proportionate basis to Parliament.
As a result, the Tamils, Muslims and the Upcountry Tamils are able to secure adequate representatives so much so that no government can get absolute majority without the support of minority political parties represented in Parliament.

Now there are moves to deprive the minority communities of their legitimate representation in the Parliament with ulterior motives based on communalism. The minority political parties have rallied together to resist all such moves. Even the JVP has come forward to oppose such moves.

The proposed electoral reforms have triggered off another confrontation between the majority community and the minority community.

An English translation of the Editorial in The Sudar Oli, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo.

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