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50 PC members including 3 Chief Ministers enter Parliament
View(s):Fifty vacancies have been created within the Provincial Councils (PC) when their members successfully contested the Parliamentary elections. Among the PC members who were elected to parliament at Monday’s general elections were three Chief Ministers from Uva, Sabaragamuwa and the Western Province.
Along with Uva Chief Minister Harin Fernando, UNP PC members Ravi Samaraweera, Vadiwel Suresh and Ananda Kumarasiri will also vacate their PC seats. Northern Provincial Council members Sitharthan Dharmalingam (TNA), Sivapragasam Sivamohan (TNA) and Ramanathan Angajan (SLFP) have also been elected to Parliament, creating three more vacancies.
Also elected to parliament are North-Western Province Chief Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara (UPFA) and the Council’s Opposition leader J.C. Alwathuwala (UNP), along with Sanath Nishantha Perera (UPFA) and four UNPers — Thushara Amarasekra, Sisira Kumara, Hector Appuhami, and Asoka Priyantha Perera.
Two UNP North Central PC members Chandima Gamage and Sydney Jayaratne were elected to Parliament.
The Western PC has 14 vacancies including the CM’s post after Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, UNP members Harshana Rajakaruna, Edward Gunasekara, Kavinda Jayawardena, L. Wijemanna, S.M. Marikar, Mujibur Rahman, Hirunika Premachandra and Mano Ganeshan, UPFA members Udaya Gammanpila, Nimal Lansa and Sisira Jayakody, JVP member, Nalinda Jayatissa were elected to parliament. Another vacancy was created when JVP member Lal Kantha who contested the General Elections from the Western Province and lost, resigned his PC seat.
Vacancies in the Central PC were created with the election of UNP members Mayantha Dissanayake, Lucky Jayawardena, Velu Kumar, Ranjith Aluvihare and K.K. Priyadasa and UPFA member Anuradha Jayaratane
Five Southern PC posts fell vacant with the election of UPFA members Geetha Kumarasingha and Kanchana Wijeskara, UNP members Wijepala Hettiarachi and Bandulal Bandarigoda and JVP Member Nihal Galapatthi.
Also elected to parliament are Sabaragamuwa UNP PC members Sujith Perera, Dr Thusitha Wijemaana, Sanjith Samarasinghe and Tharaka Balasuriya as well as UPFA member H.R. Dushmantha Mithrapla.
From the Eastern PC, UNP members I.M.M Mansoor, Imraan Mahroof and Daya Gamage, UPFA member Wimalaweera Dissanayake, and SLMC member Ali Zahir Moulana were elected.