Local monitors question move to include losers

Local election monitors have questioned the decision taken by the main political parties to name candidates who lost the Parliamentary election on the national list.

The Campaign for a Free and Fair Election (CaFFE) said that while the move is not illegal it is unethical.

The Executive Director of?CaFFE, Keerthi Tenakoon noted?that the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has included seven members who lost the election in the national list.

He also noted that the United National Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna have also included candidates who lost the election to the national list while the Tamil National Alliance is also looking at including?two candidates who lost the election, on its national list.

Tenakoon said that the political parties are using the existing election laws to bring to parliament, through the national list, candidates who lost the Parliamentary election.

He said that the decision to bring to parliament, through the back door, candidates who lost the election raises the question if the verdict given by the voter is being disregarded.

Tenakoon said that local election laws must be amended to ensure that candidates who lose an election are unable to return to parliament through the national list. (Colombo Gazette)