Member of Parliament, Premnath C. Dolawatta, emphasised his intention to introduce a Bill to establish a mandatory 25% representation of youth within Local Government bodies. This significant proposal underscores the commitment to fostering generational inclusivity and engaging the perspectives of young citizens in governance processes. The MP highlighted that the objective of this initiative is to reinstate an opportunity that has historically existed in our nation but was regrettably lost over time. He expressed confidence in garnering the backing of both parliamentary colleagues and the public to realize this endeavour. MP Dolawatta shared these sentiments during a press conference convened at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) yesterday (18), under the theme “Collective path to a stable country”.
In addition, the MP emphasized that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s agenda is centred around affording opportunities to the youth of our nation and facilitating their active involvement in the decision-making framework. Dolawatta further elaborated on this perspective.
The discourse surrounding youth representation remains consistent, acknowledging the historical backdrop of youth-led uprisings in our nation, such as the events of 1971 and 1989.
Notably, it was subsequent to the 1989 unrest that a paradigm shift occurred, affording the youth of our country the prospect of engaging in politics and facilitating essential interventions to enable their participation. The Youth Discontent Commission had initially extended a significant opportunity by proposing a provision for 25% youth nominations within local government bodies. However, an unfortunate turn of events occurred when the introduction of women’s representation rights in the previous season led to the inadvertent dismissal of the youth’s entitlement, as stipulated by the relevant Local Government Act.
As a result, the 2018 Local Government elections were marked by the notable absence of the anticipated involvement of young individuals. Instead of the anticipated vibrant and youthful engagement, the electoral landscape was predominantly shaped by an older demographic.
While discussions surrounding youth representation within parliamentary contexts have been commonplace, the actual realization of such opportunities has remained infrequent. Conversely, youth representation within local government structures has been a consistent practice for decades. This history of youth engagement has witnessed instances of young individuals, devoid of political familial backgrounds, successfully securing Parliamentary positions and even ministerial roles.
The post Law ensuring 25% youth representation in LG Bodies proposed appeared first on DailyNews.