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Candidate selection process in the works for WPC, SPC polls
View(s):Major political parties have begun selecting candidates to contest the forthcoming polls to the Western and Southern Provincial Councils.
The SPC and WPC were dissolved at midnight on January 12, and nominations for the elections will be accepted from January 30 to February 6, with election dates to be announced once nominations close.
Minister, W.D.J. Seneviratne said that the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had appointed senior members of the party, along with other ministers and MPs to coordinate their campaigns with the selected nominees in each district.
He said the selection committee would, next Monday, finalise the candidates for the election, after interviewing applicants on their eligibility. Minister Seneviratne who is also a member of the selection committee, said education levels of the candidates would be the main component in selecting the nominees for the coming election. He also said selected candidates should possess a good understanding of government policies and have the capacity to build healthy relationships with the public of the given area.
He said opposition politicians who crossed over to the ruling party would also be considered for the nominations, provided they proved their eligibility.
The New Year began with the SPC’s UNP member Krishantha Pushpakumara (‘Raththaran’) joining the ruling party to contest the election. He won the highest number of preferential votes under the UNP at the last SPC election. UPFA SPC councillor and the government’s chief organiser Justin Galappaththi, along with his son, Matara Urban Council UPFA member Chathura Galappaththi, in turn, crossed over to the UNP, to contest the election.
The WPC’s ex-Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunge said some outgoing UPFA councillors from the Gampaha district had decided not to contest this time, and the vacant slots would be filled in with ex-councilors, artistes and professionals.
JVP Information Secretary Vijitha Herath said the Central Executive Committee will take the final decision within the next few days, on the candidates, though the party has decided on the chief ministerial candidates and district party leaders.
Vijitha Lalkantha and Nalin Hewage have been appointed chief ministerial candidates for the WPC and SPC respectively. Mahinda Jayasinghe, Nalinda Jayasinghe, Jinadasa Kithulegoda, Nihal Galapaththi, Nalin Hewage and Vijitha Lalkantha will be the JVP district leaders for their election campaign.
Democratic Party (DP) General Secretary Ananda Manawadu said the party had selected a tentative list of candidates but it had not picked the chief ministerial candidates. He said Party Leader Sarath Fonseka would take part in the campaign and address political rallies.
According to Mr Manawadu, Padmasiri de Silva, Janith Vipulaguna, Devaka Weerasinghe, Upali Suraweera and L. Anuruddha have been appointed as leaders for each district, excepting Colombo, to contest the elections.
He said that, in selecting candidates for the election, the party considered their integrity towards public service, intellectuality and a clean rap sheet to show their eligibility to be true public servants.
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) General Secretary M.T. Hassan Ali said that, with the decision to contest the WPC and SPC elections independently, a nomination committee comprising senior Muslim politicians was appointed last Friday at SLMC headquarters, to select candidates. The committee will also be responsible to formulate strategies to attract more votes while retaining those already garnered.
Riyaz Salley, an independent contestant and borther of CP councillor Azath Salley, said that he decided to contest without choosing a side this year, because of the ‘lack of credibility’ of all major parties. He criticised both the government and the main opposition for not being able to provide the public with their true needs, but only enough for their mere survival.
He said his group decided to contest with three main candidates who will represent the three main communities in Colombo — 
Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim — against the rest. Development of education would be the main focus of Riyaz Salley’s campaign, along with housing, health and other necessities for the public.
The UNP nomination committee comprises MP Karu Jayasuriya, Tissa Attanayake, Lakshman Kiriella Ravi Karunanayake and nine other MPs of the party.
JHU’s Udaya Gammanpila said he would change the ‘typical’ poster campaign which almost every political party uses, but has a negative impact on the environment. He has decided to canvass for elections through digital media and meeting people face-to-face and explain to them his policies.
He said he had returned his his government assets to the PC with its dissolution, abiding by the law to conduct a fair election campaign.
Meanwhle, poll monitors have called upon former PC ministers to hand over their state assets, such as vehicles, offices, staff and residences to the respective PCs, without using them for election campaign.
Meanwhile People’s Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchie said that a special unit, along with the Human Rights Commission will begin with the nominations to monitor the use of public property for canvassing purposes.
Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya told the Sunday Times that a few changes were likely to be implemented for the forthcoming elections, such as allowing candidates to enter polling stations during the counting process.