With competition for the chief ministerial candidacy of the North Western province (NWP) between several key UPFA candidates already underway, the Government, the main Opposition UNP and other political parties are gearing up for the upcoming North Western and Central Provincial Council elections which are scheduled to be held early next year.
Nominations have now been called and will be accepted between December 24 and 31. Both the ruling UPFA and the UNP are yet to name their chief ministerial candidates but several prominent politicians from the areas are being named as possible candidates.
A senior Cabinet minister told The Sunday Times that the Government was likely to nominate the former chief ministers from the two provinces as chief ministerial candidates this year as well.
However, The Sunday Times learns that in the event of a UPFA victory, the next chief minister for the NWP will be picked based on the individual performance of a candidate by taking into account the percentage of preferential votes each receives. Meanwhile UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena said the UNP is preparing to face the upcoming polls by talking to the electorate at the grassroots level in addition to holding public rallies.
“We plan to visit individual homes in the two provinces and talk to voters at the village level as well as to voters in urban areas,” he said.
He said the UNP’s Working Committee has decided to appoint UNP strongman S. B. Dissanayake as the chief ministerial candidate for the Central Province, while a decision is yet to be taken on the candidate for the North Western Province.
However, The Sunday Times learns that Mr. Dissanayake has said he will take a decision on whether or not to contest after an ongoing court case is over.
As for the NWP, The Sunday Times learns that there are strong attempts to get Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Johnston Fernando or Akila Viraj Kariyawasam to contest for the CM’s post. Former Chief Minister Attorney-at-Law Athula Wijesinghe, Neranjan Wickramasinghe, R. D. Wimaladasa and the council’s former Opposition leader Asoka Wadigamangawa who crossed over from the UNP are likely to contest for the UPFA chief minister slot, according to political sources.
As the chief minister’s post for the NWP has gone to the Kurunegala district for the past 20 years, Mr. Wadigamangawa is attempting to request the people to elect someone from the Puttalam district for the post, it being the other constituent district of the province.
Despite this, it was reported there have been attempts made by the UNP to take Mr. Wadigamangawa back into the party. However, he has assured President Rajapaksa that he would not go back to the UNP.
Meanwhile the two main parties and others are getting ready to select candidates for the Puttalam district. The UNP has reportedly received 28 applications for the Puttalam district, 18 of which will eventually be selected. In addition to that, two lawyers are to be named for the Wennappuwa seat, while a Tamil candidate and a Sinhalese candidate will be named for the seats of Udappuwa and Wanathawilluwa respectively, along with several other new faces. Meanwhile the National Freedom Front (NFF) led by Wimal Weerawansa will meet this week to discuss whether to contest on its own or to collaborate with the Government, NFF Member and Parliamentarian Piyasiri Wijenayaka said.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna will be going to the polls alone and the party’s nominations list will be finalised in the coming weeks, JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.
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