| With the Elections Commissioner calling for nominations for the remaining 23 local authorities consisting of municipal councils, urban councils and pradeshiya sabhas from August 18 to 25, political parties are busy finalising nomination lists, including the prospective mayoral candidates.
Posters have sprung up in some areas promoting candidates, some of who are claiming to be mayoral candidates, though their party’s nominations boards have yet to sit.
In the Sri Jayawardhanapura-Kotte area as well as other areas, there were election posters promoting certain candidates, displaying enthusiasm among political parties for the upcoming polls likely to be held in October.
The UPFA nomination board will hold interviews on Tuesday, while the UNP will start their discussions tomorrow, though the list of nominations will not be finalised till just before nominations close on August 25.
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| Posters that have sprung up in Colombo city.
Pix by Nilan Maligaspe |
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Though political parties have not decided on their mayoral candidates as well as the key candidates, they are in the process of receiving suggestions and demands from their party representatives requesting consideration.
UPFA Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayantha, told the Sunday Times that his party will not decide on mayoral candidates like in past local govt. elections.
“After the discussions on the nominees, our party will be allocating representations for the aligned parties,” he said.
He said that the aim of the UPFA is to secure victory in the majority of the local authorities as in previous elections. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that the nominations committee of the UNP will be meeting from August 15 to 20 to decide on the mayoral candidates and other key candidates, and specifically on the 20th for nominees to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) including the mayoral candidate.
“If we are unable to finalise our decisions, we intend extending the discussions and hand over our nomination lists by August 24 or 25,” he said.
He said they will announce the mayoral candidate for the CMC once the names are decided.
JVP ParliamentarianVijitha Herath said the JVP also had appointed a special committee to decide on nominations by the beginning of next week.
He said the aim of the JVP in these elections is to secure the maximum number of seats and to raise voice against corruption within the municipalities and other councils.
SLMC Leader, Minister Rauf Hakeem said that they will be contesting mainly in Kalmunai, Colombo, Kandy, Matale, Negombo, Galle, Badulla and Kurunegala Municipalities. “We will not be announcing our mayoral candidates, but will decide later depending on the capability of the candidates during the elections” he said.
Commenting on the alignment with the UPFA, Minister Hakeem said that discussions on this will take place on the President’s return from China.
DPF Leader Mano Ganesan said his party will be contesting the elections with the Nava Sama Samaja Party led by Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne.
He said that the expectations of his party cadres and the Tamil community are for him to be the mayoral candidate for the CMC. “Though my party is in agreement to contest in Colombo, Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia, Kolonnawa and Negombo at the moment, discussions are ongoing with the aligned party on further decisions,” said Mr. Ganesan.
Meanwhile prospective candidates are staking their claims to be appointed for the mayoral position, pending party approval.
Western Provincial Council (WPC) member and UNP Colombo District Organiser C.P.Y. Ram said that he has asked to be nominated as their mayoral candidate for the CMC.
“Our party leader has proposed my name for mayor. I have always been with the people and I have served so many years as a politician and done my utmost for them. Therefore, they have confidence in me, and I’m confident of winning” he said.
He said the that a mayoral candidate should always have political and economical knowledge in order to serve the people as a mayor, and work honestly in order to eradicate corruption.
But, UNP WPC member A.J.M. Muzammil said that he has made his claim and wishes to contest as a mayoral candidate. He has assured the leader that he will win the council for him, if given the opportunity.
“The party has to decide, as there are others also who have made their claims. Therefore, the party will have to decide on a suitable candidate,” he said.
Sunethra Ranasinghe, who was elected Mayor of Dehiwala-Mt Lavinia under the UNP ticket, said that she will be contesting as the mayoral candidate for the same municipality, while other key UNP members in the Council will also be contesting.
“As Mayoress, I have done my job to a great extent which the people understand and have worked hard to reduce corruption. Therefore, I’m looking forward to another term,” she said.
Former Deputy Mayor- CMC, Azath Salley told the Sunday times that he is looking forward to contesting as a mayoral candidate of the CMC under the UPFA ticket.
“I will contest only as a mayoral candidate, and make sure that I win, in order to achieve the target,” he said.
Former CMC Special Commissioner Omar Kamil said he had yet not decided on contesting.
Meanwhile, reports that Ms. Anoma Fonseka is to contest as the JVP-backed DNA mayoral candidate for Colombo were denied on Friday. She said that there wasn’t any discussion held with regard to this matter, while adding that these are rumours spread to achieve political gains.
Former Deputy Mayor S. Rajendran under whose leadership the CMC was secured after contesting under a UNP backed list at the last municipal elections in 2006, said that he will not be contesting in the forthcoming elections, as he is facing difficulties and threats, because he helped expose corruption within the CMC.
In 2006, he contested under Independent Group 3 and secured 23 seats with 4, 600 votes, which paved the way to secure power, with Mohammed Imtiyaz elected Mayor.
The former Mayor has been provided employment in Sri Lanka’s mission in South Korea, and his family members in Colombo declined to comment about his political future.
In Nuwara Eliya former UNP Mayor Chandana Lal Karunaratna, who has held the position since 2002, is set to contest for the mayoral position, while hotelier Mahinda Kumara, who has broken away from the UNP, is set to contest for the top slot from the UPFA.
In Kurunegala, former Mayor Nimal Chandrasiri Silva is set to contest for the top post after overcoming attempts by Minister Jhonston Fernando to field his son. However, he is set to face competition from his own members, former Deputy Mayor Gamini Peramunage, ex-MC member Sanjeewa Vitharana and former UNP opposition leader Wijayananda Wedisinha, who is likely to contest under the UPFA ticket.
In Matale, former Mayor Hilmy Mohammed is set to contest for the mayoral position, while UNP members have been calling for former MP Ranjith Aluvihare to contest from the party, but his brother Daljith Aluvihare the former opposition leader is also set to contest.
For the Kandy Municipal Council Myantha Dissanayaka is set to contest for the top post, while Sena Dissanayaka is among the top contenders from the UPFA.
(Additional reporting: Shelton Hettiarachchi - Nuwara Eliya, Pushpakumara Jayaratn a- Kurunegala, Hilton Berenge r- Matale and L.B. Senaratne - Kandy) |
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