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UPFA
National List blunder The embarrassing omission prompted President Chandrika Kumaratunga to apologise to Mr. Wickramanayake and issue a statement, assuring he would be given not just a place but first place on the UPFA national list. However, legal experts say this is not possible as Article 99A of the Constitution clearly states that national list appointees to parliament must be from among those on the list given to the commissioner or from those who were on the district list for direct election. Some legal experts say that if Mr. Wickramanayake is to be accommodated in parliament, a national list nominee must be first appointed to parliament and then asked to step down to make way for Mr. Wickremanayake. Explaining the backdrop, SLFP sources said the party's nominees for the national list had not been finalised by Tuesday, the final day of the nominations. They said UPFA Secretary Susil Premjayanth was in charge of preparing the full national list in consultation with SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena. But somehow Mr. Wickramanayake's name had been omitted. They were made aware of the mistake when former parliamentarian Tudor Dayaratne alerted President Kumaratunga. Mr. Premjayanth told The Sunday Times that the omission was due to a "misunderstanding" and said that measures were being taken to include Mr. Wickremanayake on the national list. "Mr. Wickramanayake wanted to head the Kalutara district list, but later informed me that his son would take over. I finalised the list with his son and all papers were signed by Mr. Wickramanayake's son. I did not know of the agreement reached between Mr. Wickramanayake and the President. However, the matter was resolved and he will be on the national list," Mr. Premjayanth said. |
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