Some Provincial Councillors and Provincial Ministers who contested under the UPFA ticket at the last Provincial Council Elections had requested for nomination under the UNP for the upcoming elections, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said today.

Mr. Attanayake said a large number of applications for nomination had been received for the upcoming elections more than expected.
“We have received a large number of applications not only from the UNPers, but also some government Provincial Councilors and Provincial Ministers who also requested for nominations.

“We are considering their requests as well,” Mr. Attanayake said.

Mr. Attanayake also said the militarisation of the civil society was becoming one of the terrible problems in the country.

“Militarisation is spreading everywhere today. Army officers and retired army officers are now made Chiefs of the sports administration bodies. This will lead to a militarisation in the country,” he said.

However, he didn’t reject the military engagement in the national security and said the dignity of the security forces should be protected when they were directed to civil matters.

He said this was why the allegations were leveled against the security forces in the North as the forces were employed in extra duties.

He said as a party which appreciates democracy, the UNP didn’t agree on militarisation and said the militarisation was destroying democracy.

He said presently the country was governed by the military forces and not by the ministers.

“We do not agree to the appointing of security officers to civil administrative portfolios,” he said. (Chaturanga Pradeep)
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