People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has raised alarms following the Cabinet's approval to amend the current electoral system for parliamentary elections, warning that the move could lead to postponement. The proposed amendments entail direct election of 160 Members of Parliament from constituencies, with the remaining 65 seats allocated through proportional voting at either the national or provincial level.

Expressing concerns, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi cited past instances where electoral system amendments in Sri Lanka had disrupted the election process, leading to delays. He highlighted the previous deferment of local government and provincial council elections for two years as a cautionary example.

Hettiarachchi emphasized the critical role of the delimitation process in any electoral system changes, recalling instances where election authorities had been compelled to postpone elections due to delays in finalizing delimitation. PAFFREL cautioned that the proposed amendments might prompt election delays unless there is consensus among political parties regarding the delimitation process.

"Failure to promptly address this issue could potentially impede the electoral timeline as scheduled," Hettiarachchi added during a press conference, urging swift action to mitigate potential disruptions.