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Authority covering CMC being finalised

10 Oct 2011 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which experienced a sweeping victory over 21 of the 23 local government elections, yet lost out on the Colombo Municipal council stated today that plans for the special authority covering the Colombo Municipal Council limits and the areas of five other Municipalities was yet to be finalised.

“People think that this is some sort of ploy to take away their ability to democratically elect leaders but this is not the case. Anyway this system is in place all over the world even in neighbouring India. But this is yet to be finalised so don’t worry,” Minister of Youth Affairs Dullas Alahapperuma said today addressing a press conference.

The UPFA criticised the United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Tissa Attanayake for claiming that the UNP win in Colombo was the foretelling of the downfall of the UPFA government. “He should be more responsible in making proclamations of this nature. Why don’t they consider the 22 areas that they lost? What do they say about the strength of the government?” General Secretary of the UPFA Susil Premajantha asked.

Mr. Alahapperuma stated that the internal struggle of the UNP and their rejection of Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had led to the loss. “They are rejecting him as the leader, but don’t forget that he has been the opposition leader for 17 years and we give him his due respect. Look at those that are against him, they have all lost the elections in their areas but Wickremesinghe has won Colombo. Tissa is from Kandy, Sajith from Hambantota and Karu from Gampaha and all these councils have been lost,” he said.

He further stated that the UPFA respected the people’s verdict given to the UNP. However he claimed that the victory came due to a communal manipulation of the votes. “They put forward a Muslim candidate and marketed him as a ‘Muslim mayor for Colombo’ and made it a communal race, that is why they won,” he said.

Mr. Alahapperuma went on to state that they were happy with the choice they had made in Milinda Morogoda. “Some sections in the party wanted the president not to name a mayor, but the President was adamant that the election was not tribal and thought Milinda was the best man for the job,” he said. (Dianne Silva)

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Authority covering CMC being finalised

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