UPFA to go to courts if UNP dons spectacles

Shirley Wijesinghe

COLOMBO : UPFA General Secretary Minister Susil Premajayantha said yesterday that the UPFA would file court action if the UNP were to take the place of the independent group contesting the Colombo Municipal Council under the spectacle symbol if the latter were to win the May 20 election.

According to him, the UNP members could not step into the shoes of those elected through the independent group as there was no legal basis for this.

The Minister was addressing a media conference held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo yesterday in support of the UPFA Mayoral candidate Vasudeva Nanayakkara.

SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena told the media that the Western Provincial Council has detected several instances of corruption and malpractices in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) which was under the UNP administration.

He said the UNP administration should be held responsible for bypassing the laid down procedure in respect of the Millennium city deal.

He said the deal entered by the CMC with a Company for the city's garbage disposal was in violation of the law and regulations governing the CMC and was pushed through by virtue of the UNP majority in the council .

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera told the media that although the UNP had been running the City Administration for 50 years, the PA and the UPFA Governments had provided a better service than the UNP.

The Minister cited the modernisation of the Baseline Road. This road now draws a picture of a good road one would see in a foreign land.

He also spoke of the renovations carried in respect of the Beira Lake and its vicinity, housing schemes for the low income groups in the city.

He said the PA Government turned Galle Face ground to a Galle Face Green.

Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said that the UNP administration should be ashamed of the drainage system in Colombo. He observed that for years the drain that is found in front of his residence was blocked as this been not been maintained properly. It was after many complaints that the drain was cleaned and repaired.

Constitutional Affairs and National integration Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara asked why Sirisena Cooray who was out of active politics for more than a decade suddenly decided to contest from the UNP, which earlier sidelined him. Whether it is Cooray or anybody no one could stop Vasudeva winning the Mayoralty, he said. Advisor to President on Muslim Affairs A.H.M. Azwer said the CMC became stagnated along with stalwarts like him who served the party for nearly half a decade. Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana was also present.