Political parties prepare strategy for local council elections

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 February 2006, 17:43 GMT]
All main political parties are to submit nominations to contest the forthcoming elections to three hundred and thirty local authorities in the island from Tuesday. The final day to submit nomination lists has been fixed for Thursday February 16. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which worked for the victory of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse at the last year presidential poll is to contest the local council election alone without forming an alliance with the ruling party, political sources said.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance government is to contest using the 'Betel' symbol of the UPFA, Mr.D.M.Jayaratne , General Secretary of the Peoples' Alliance and a senior minister said.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to contest three hundred local authorities alone in the forthcoming local poll and to contest other thirty councils in alliance with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Mr.Tissa Attanayake, UNP Assistant General Secretary said at press briefing held Monday.

Meanwhile, discussions began Tuesday morning between the leaders of ruling United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and leaders of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), and Upcountry Peoples' Front (UPF) to workout an alliance to field candidates under one wing to contest the local authorities in the upcountry electorates. The talks are still continuing and the final outcome of the talks is expected late Monday night, political sources said.