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Parties gear up for possible PC elections
By Harinda Vidanage
The race to be prepared for provincial council elections gathered pace with all major parties bracing themselves for them with the President due to make the final decision regarding the elections within the next two weeks. The SLFP has already finalised its nomination lists but The Sunday Times learns that the party is awaiting President Kumaratunga's decision depending on the outcome of the talks with the JVP.

The United National Party has made preparations to contest the provincial council polls and has decided to throw its full strength behind the election effort. The SLMC has also taken the position of contesting as a separate party without joining any main party to face the election. The JVP has also begun organising the party to face the polls.

The Sunday Times learns that the JVP has decided to contest separately at the provincial council elections if the alliance with the SLFP does not work out.
As the JVP still sticks to the condition of the need to go for a general election after the signing of the MoU, provincial council elections would not be called for, according to a senior SLFP source. The JVP has made the fresh demand to the President of dissolving Parliament within three weeks of signing the alliance document.

President Kumaratunga is said to have prepared a secret action report targeting three provincial councils mapping out a comprehensive strategy guide to contest the respective elections. The three provincial councils are the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North Central Province councils.

The action plan prepared on December 12 has three committees handpicked by the President Kumaratunga herself to implement the election strategy. In this confidential document the committees have been titled as operational committees for the provincial council elections.

President Kumaratunga has named Ratnasiri Wickramanayake as the chairman of the committee for heading planning operations in the Western Province. The other committee members are Chief Minister Reginald Cooray, Provincial Council ministers Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Nandana Mendis. The team also includes .

arliamentarians Susil Premajayantha, Jeevan Kumaratunga, Felix Perera, Reggie Ranatunga, Tudor Dayaratne and Chandana Katriarachchi. The Sabaragamuwa Province operations committee is headed by SLFP stalwart John Seneviratne, and his team includes Mohan Ellawala, Asoka Jayaratne, Mahipala Herath and Pavithra Wanniarachchi.

Maithripala Sirisena has been appointed the chairman of the committee to implement the provincial council election strategy in the North Central Province. The other committee members include Berty Premalal Dissanayake, Tissa Karaliyadde and P.B. Ratnayake. Meanwhile in the process of calling for provincial council elections the first to be dissolved is the Wayamba Provincial Council.

One time SLFP media minister and Parliamentarian Anura Priyadarshana Yapa has already acknowledged he is contesting for the chief minister in Wayamba.
For the Southern province the SLFP has overlooked the current chief minister H.G. Sirisena for re-nomination by choosing Piyasena Gamage as the potential chief ministerial candidate.

Meanwhile, LSSP General Secretary Batty Weerakoon told The Sunday Times that his party has not decide on how to contest the upcoming provincial council elections amidst speculation that the traditional left parties may form an alliance to contest the polls.

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