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UNP to go without naming lead candidates?
By Santhush Fernando
The UNP is considering a proposal to contest the upcoming local elections without naming its lead candidates in some councils, Chairperson of the Party's Committee for Local Government Bodies, P. Dayarathne told The Sunday Times.

"This move will allow all members to work equally hard for the party's victory without further dividing it,” Mr. Dayaratne said. The move comes in the wake of tussles among some of the members for the top slot in the municipal councils and urban councils and pradeshiya sabhas.
The party's nomination board responsible for finalizing nominations, had made this proposal to Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last Friday UNP sources said.

The split-ridden party was further rocked with the announcement of local government elections which saw various factions lobbying for their favourites for the top slot.

Colombo Municipal Council, a long-standing UNP stronghold faced the worst rift with some threatening to crossover to the PA, although former minister and one time Mayor Sirisena Cooray is likely to be chosen to head the CMC.
Colombo District MPs Milinda Moragoda, Mohammed Maharoof were supporting Sirisena Cooray and met Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week to convey their stance.

Former Speaker M. H. Mohammed and Colombo MP T. Maheswaran are reportedly supporting Thilanga Sumithipala. Mr. Sirisena Cooray stayed away from active politics for some time and later went to Australia complaining that he had been sidelined by the party leadership. Mr. Cooray returned to Sri Lanka last Thursday.

However Deputy Mayor Asath Salley has warned that he would join the government or even contest with an independent group in the event of not being nominated as the mayoral candidate.

Mr. Dayaratne on Friday said that discussions were still underway to finalise the name for the Mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council.
Strong lobbying was also seen for Lak-wanitha frontliner Rosy Senanayake, former Aviation Authority chief Hemasiri Fernando and former CMC Mayor Omar Kamil.

In most local bodies the candidate who secures the highest number of preferences will be installed as the Chairperson at the discretion of the Party, The Sunday Times learns.

The UNP Nomination Board headed by Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya comprises General Secretary N. V. K. K. Weragoda, Deputy General Secretary Tissa Aththanayake, D. M. Swaminathan and Parliamentarians P. Dayarathne (Local Government Bodies), Gayantha Karunathilake (Youth Wing) and Amara Piyaseeli Dissanayake (Lak-wanitha).

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