TNA and UNP to contest separately:

SLFP teams up with EPDP for Northern polls

by S. Selvakumar

The SLFP would contest the Northern Provincial Council elections in coalition with the EPDP headed by parliamentarian Douglas Devananda while the TNA would go it alone.

SLFP sources citing Economic Development Minister and the party’s national organiser Basil Rajapaksa said that the party has already held talks with the EPDP and the latter’s chief representative Douglas Devananda would be the coalition’s chief ministerial candidate. However, the SLFP would function as a separate entity within the coalition.

TNA MP and the party’s General Secretary Mavai Senathirajah told the Sunday Observer that it would contest as a separate coalition of five Tamil parties but would consider a coalition with any interested party only after President Mahinda Rajapaksa announces elections to the Northern Province as he did to the East before the provincial elections were held there.

The UNP will not join any other party and would contest alone the Party’s Senior Assistant Secretary and Gampaha District parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena said.

Meanwhile, Secretaries of registered political parties met Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya at the Rajagiriya Elections Secretariat on Friday afternoon.

Jaffna District MP Suresh Premachandran and M.A. Sumanthiran representing the TNA told the elections chief that they wanted international monitors in the province before the polls.

Deshapriya told the TNA that he was not aware of any elections in the Northern Province and the President would inform him when the need arises. He told the TNA that it had not been the practice to call for international monitors at provincial level polls.