Dayaratne new BASL head

Senior lawyer W. Dayaratne was elected the next President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) defeating his closest rival Upul Jayasuriya, President of the Colombo Law Society by a majority of 520 votes in Friday's elections to the country's premier association of lawyers.

Mr. Dayaratne won the majority in the main Bars of Colombo, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Gampaha, Galle, Ampara and Negombo among others, while Mr. Jayasuriya secured Kandy, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Kalutara, Batticaloa, Marawila, Panadura, Horana, Matara and Anuradhapura among some others.

Mr. V. Thangarajah also contested the Presidency. Mr. U.R. de Silva was elected the Secretary of the BASL for 2008/2009 with a majority of over 1,000 votes. The BASL convocation is scheduled for March 31.