No Faith Motion against Gammanpila defeated

The vote of no confidence on the Western Provincial Council's Agriculture, Agrarian Development, Irrigation, Industries and Emp- loyment Minister Udaya Gammanpila was defeated by a majority 42 votes at the council meeting yesterday.

The no faith motion brought up by the UNP group of members in the Council said Minister Gammanpila was not fit to hold the position of a Minister in the Council as he was opposed to the Provincial Council system. At the time the vote on the motion was taken up four members of the UNP group were not present while member Srinath Perera abstained from voting, council sources said. The number of ruling party members of the council is 67 while the Opposition has 36 members.

The SLMC and JVP members of the council did not vote with the other opposition members, sources said. Commenting on the situation in the council Minister Udaya Gammanpila said it clearly showed the JVP and SLMC that had allied with the UNP for the forthcoming presidential poll were non cooperative at the Western Provincial Council prooving that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would win the Presidential election easily.