General Election 2015:

SF won't challenge MR in Kurunegala

DP General Secretary dismisses speculation:

by Ranil Wijayapala

Democratic Party (DP) General Secretary, Ananda Manawadu yesterday dismissed speculation that its leader Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka would be withdrawing his nomination for the Colombo District to contest from the Kurunegala District on the UNP ticket to challenge former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said there was no such provision in the election law to withdraw nominations once handed over.

Manawadu said the party has already submitted nominations for ten Districts including Colombo from which its leader, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka is going to contest. The party has handed over nominations for Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Matale, Galle, Hambantota, Kurunegala, Ratnapura and Kegalle Districts on Friday.

"We will hand over nominations for other districts, except for Jaffna, Vanni and Polonnaruwa Districts," he added.

The party is not contesting in Jaffna and in the Vanni as it does not have strong presence and in the Polonnaruwa District, because the chief organizer decided to remain neutral. According to Manawadu, Anoma Fonseka, wife of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, is contesting the election from the Gampaha District and his former son-in-law, Dhanuna Thilakaratne is contesting from the Colombo District.

Prominent party activists, dramatist, Nalin Pradeep Uduwela, Ranmalee Gunasekara, Priyanka Jayasekara and Ajith Priyantha are contesting the election from the Colombo District. Upali Suraweera, actor Ravindra Yasas and Indika Gallage are some prominent figures contesting from the Kalutara District.

Former SSP Ranjith Gunasekara is contesting the election from the Kurunegala District.

Prominent lawyers, Asanga Thilakaratne and Channa Galappatti, are contesting from the Kandy District, he added.