UNP captures power in central province

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 April 2002, 19:10 GMT]
President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance Monday agreed to hand over the administration of the Central Provincial Council (CPC) to the United National Party which defeated the PA's budget in the council and demanded control of the CPC.

The PA however, delayed handing over power amidst pressure from UNP strongmen in the province who threatened to launch mass agitiations against the PA administration of the CP.

In the 58- member CPC, the UNP beacme majority with 31 members when some PA councilors crossed over following its victory at 2001 December general election.

The PA, which had been the ruling the CPC, however, refused to hand over the administration to the UNP. In the meantime, the CPC defeated the budget of the PA administration at its recent meeting as its had lost its majority in the council.

Thereafter the Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils in the UNF government refused to allocate money to the CPC, which crippled its entire administration.

Finally the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge summoned a conference of the PA and UNP councilors in the CPC Monday afternoon at her Secretariat to sort out the impasse.

An agreement was reached at the conference to hand over the CPC administration to the UNP. According to the agreement, the opposition leader Mr.W.P.M.Dissnayake will be sworn in as the new Chief Minister Tuesday before the Central Province Governor K.B.Ratnayake.

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