PA meet to decide on PC elections

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The Central Committee of the People's Alliance (PA) will hold a meeting on September 1st to decide whether to hold the elections to the provincial councils in the south simultaneously or at the expiry of their life term, PA general secretary Mr.D.M.Jayaratne said Sunday.

Meanwhile, all political parties have taken steps to call for applications from prospective candidates for provincial council elections amid speculation that the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, who is also the president of the PA, is planning to dissolve all six provincial councils in the south and hold elections simultaneously early part of next year, 2004, political sources said.

The People's Alliance, the main opposition in the present parliament, holds power in six provincial councils- Southern, Western, North Western, North Central, Sabragamuwa and Uva- in the south. The United National Party (UNP), the main constituent of the ruling United National Front, is holding power in only Central Provincial Council, sources said.

President Kumaratunge is likely to summon all chief ministers in PA controlled provincial councils next week and to seek their views about dissolving these councils before the expiry of their life term, sources said.

All chief ministers of PA controlled provincial councils are of the view although they have the power to dissolve these councils, they would do so on the decision of the President Ms Chandrika, sources said.

However, the Chief Minister of the UNP controlled Central Provincial Council, Mr. Vasantha Aluwihare, said he would dissolve the council only if the Prime Minister orders him to do so.

The Department of Elections said that except for the Southern Provincial Council where the elections are due in July the life terms of other six provincial councils including UNP controlled Central Provincial Council are due to expire in April and May.