‘UPFA will appoint CM for EP as party with largest number of votes’

Irangika RANGE

SLFP General Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayantha yesterday said that the UPFA will form provincial administrations in North Central, Sabaragamuwa and Eastern Provinces as the party which has obtained highest number of votes at the September 8 polls.

Minister Susil Premajayantha

In forming Provincial Councils, the usual protocol is that the Governor of each province invites the party which has polled the highest number of votes to nominate their chief ministerial candidate.

Accordingly, the UPFA will nominate three Chief Ministers for the provinces in consultation with its allied parties.

It is also expected that the Elections Commissioner to call on the UPFA today to nominate members for the two bonus seats reserved for the party which has come first in the election.

In case of nominating suitable persons for the two bonus seats in the Eastern Province, attention will be paid to nominate people from the area where the lowest number of members have been returned in the election.

Addressing the weekly media briefing at the Mahaweli Centre, SLFP Treasurer Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said the UPFA has received the highest number of seats in the Eastern Province including two bonus seats. In addition the UPFA partner parties SLMC and NFF have received seven and one seats respectively. Accordingly, the UPFA has received 22 seats altogether.

Referring to UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake’s statement that the UNP will form an alliance with the TNA in the Eastern Provincial Council the minister pointed out that the UNP has got only four seats while the TNA has received 11 seats.

Even if they combined, the total will only be 15 seats and they cannot form a provincial administration.

The minister further said during the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement, the UNP agreed to give 1/3 of land area and 2/3 of ocean area to the LTTE. The TNA described this PC polls as a god given opportunity to form Eelam. ‘So, we asked the UNP whether they are now trying to form Eelam by this,” he added.