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35 broke ex-MPs ask for loans to re-contest
By Ranjith Ananda Jayasinghe
At least 35 former Parliamentarians have applied for overdraft facilities or loans from the Bank of Ceylon to fund their election campaign. Officials said the loan applications made to the Bank of Ceylon branch in the Parliamentary complex had come from ten UNF members, including some former non-cabinet ministers, and from opposition members.

They said the amounts sought ranged from Rs.200,000 to 1 million. Majority of the loan seekers are known to be from rural areas and their funds have apparently run out for the third general election in four years in addition to presidential and local government polls.

Meanwhile, as usual individual candidates and political parties have approached business magnates directly and indirectly to bankroll the campaigns. The comments made by some of the former MPs spotlighted the fund-raising crisis facing most of them.

The UNP's former Kurunegala district parliamentarian, Anura Gopallawa, said there was stiff competition in the district and he needed at least three million rupees for his campaign. He described the snap general election as a waste of money and time.

Kegalle district UNPer Premadasa Champika had more than double that estimate, saying his campaign would cost about seven million rupees. Similar comments came from the north. The TNA's A. Chandraneru said he had spent about one million rupees at the last general election and would be forced to find a similar amount this time for what he also saw as an unwanted election.

Another minority viewpoint came from former NUA MP M.L.A.M. Hizbullah who said he could not go back to the same supporters seeking money again in addition to the threat he faced from the LTTE.

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