The Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms that sat on Friday for the 50th time, had made progress on a wide spectrum of views of the political parties, individuals and organizations and was finalizing its report , which would be released in January 2009, the committee chairman and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena told The Island.

The subject of recognition and de-recognition of new political parties was discussed on Friday and a consensus reached. Already two bills on electoral reforms of local government institutions had been presented to Parliament.