Maheepala Herath, next Chief Ministerial candidate

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to field incumbent Chief Minister Maheepala Herath as the next Chief Ministerial candidate at the forthcoming Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council elections as well, said Provincial Lands, Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Sri Lal Wickramasinghe.

“The UPFA will win the next Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council election too with a two third majority of members,” he said at a Provincial Council meeting at the Council auditorium on Tuesday. Council Chairman Ranjith Bandara presided. UNP member Samitha Atygalle tabled a motion calling for the strengthening of the Provincial Council system by fully activating the powers vested on Provincial Councils by the 13th amendment to the Constitution.

He said that all should work as one group to protest the Provincial Council System. UNP member Nihal Farook seconded the motion. UPFA member Ajith Shaminda said he would commend the UNP members if they brought about this motion with good intentions. JVP member Pushpakumara Dissanayake said the Provincial Council system had proved to be a failure.

Provincial Minister Sri Lal Wickremasinghe winding up the debate on behalf of the grieving party said he wished to pay tribute to late President J R Jayewardene for introducing the Provincial Council System which opened a path for the small man to undertake a long journey in the sphere of politics.

He condemned the JVP for condemning the Provincial Council while depending on it for its political existence.

He said the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council had been able to accomplish a great amount of work in the social and economic development spheres in the Kegalle and Ratnapura districts. Although an MP receives only Rs 5 million per year as decentralized budget funds, a member of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council received a larger slice of funds including those in the opposition.