EC On Changes & Challenges In Elections

By Vivekananthan Niranjan –February 17, 2016

Vivekananthan Niranjan

The Managers’ Forum was privileged to have Mahinda Deshapriya, Chairman of the new Election Commission, as keynote speaker on 6 February, 2016 at Euroville Conference Hall in Muthiraichanthai, in Changili Thoppu, Nallur. His topic was “Elections: the Changes and Challenges.” In attendance was a large crowd of 75 or so dignitaries and other leading citizens.

Mr. Deshapriya arrived promptly on time and noted how he was pleased to see among those timely participants women and the two budding young lawyers, Mr. Janahan Muththukumar (who practises in Jaffna after qualifying as a Barrister in the UK and earning an LLM degree in Australia), and Miss. Mathumai Paranthaman educated at University of Wolverhampton. Mr. Deshapriya said he would be happy to just lecture to these young people who are the future of our country!

Prof. S. Ratnajeevan h. Hoole of the Election Commission, while chairing the meeting, announced that the Commission has taken the decision to go all over the country giving citizens the opportunity to participate in similar discussions and had chosen Jaffna as the first place to visit.

Mr. Muththukumar gave the welcome address which was short, sweet and to the point. He noted the importance given to Jaffna, first in choosing Jaffna for the first of the Commission’s countrywide series of talks, and second in the Constitutional Council appointing Prof. Hoole from Jaffna for an independent commission rather than choosing someone from Colombo as is all too common for such national appointments.

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