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. |