The concept of the National List was introduced into the Constitution of 1978 in order to provide places for people of national stature and for those people who have excelled in various professions and similar fields of national importance. Even the senate under the Soulbury Constitution was established with a similar objective; unfortunately with the passage of time, the Senate too became the refuge for defeated candidates.

This ran counter to the very objectives the founders of the Senate had in mind. In the end, it was abolished to pave the way for a uni-cameral legislature in Sri Lanka. The so-called National List was created to accommodate people of eminence who do not like the hustings. For instance, a person of the calibre of Lakshman Kadirgama, who became one of our successful Ministers of Foreign Affair. He was able to enter Parliament because of this mechanism.

In the preparation of the PA National List, two important political personalities have been deliberately dropped by the PA leadership and this has been done without consulting the SLFP Central Committee and the PA Executive Committee.

Of the people nominated, how can one justify the inclusion of such names Mahinda Amaraweera (defeated candidate 2001) Nimalasiri Jayasinghe (defeated Candidate) Puthirasigamani (defeated candidate) and several others who are not so eminent in my book.

This was grossly unfair by the people who toiled for the PA and the SLFP in particular in the last thirty years. People who voted the PA at the last general election must demand with one voice the resignation of all these National List MPs before the Pradeshiya Sabha elections and pave the way for the appointment of some senior pure SLFPers in order to enliven the party.
Sumanasiri Meddewatta
Katugastota