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| Sunday, 21 October 2001 |
| Politics |
| News Business Features Editorial |
Non-Govigama Committee to
parties: 'Nominate more non-Givigama candidates'
A group claiming to represent 'Non-Govigama people' is calling on all political parties contesting the forthcoming general election "not to nominate an overbearing and disproportionate number of Govigama candidates." The Committee for the Proportional Representation of Non-Govigama People (CPRNGP) said in a statement last week that "each successive parliament since independence has witnessed a steady growth in the over representation of Govigama members." "This has worked to the detriment of non-Govigama communities and the situation needs to be immediately addressed and corrected if proportional representation in Parliament is to be restored," the Committee said. The Committee statement, which has been sent to the People's Alliance, United National Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, also said: "A Sunday newspaper reported on September 14 2001 that a sports personality from Gampaha is tipped to receive nominations from the PA to contest from the Moratuwa electorate. The Moratuwa electorate chiefly consists of people of a distinctly different cultural and religious background to that of the proposed candidate. "If the major political parties are sincerely interested in protecting the fundamental cultural and religious rights of the different ethnic, religious and cultural communities that make up the plural society which is Sri Lanka, it is absolutely essential that due consideration is given to select persons from the same religious, ethnic and cultural background as that of the people of each respective electorate in nominating persons to contest elections." "On behalf of the non-Govigama people comprising distinct ethnic groups such as the Karava, Durava, Salagama, Bathgama, Vahumpura and others we earnestly request you not to nominate an overbearing and disproportionate number of Govigama candidates for the forthcoming election and future elections." The Moratuwa-based Committee's statement was signed by chairman Jagath Wijanayake. |
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