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| Sunday, 29 February 2004 |
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President spikes talk of Ratnasiri being eased out by Deepal Warnakulasuriya The talk in political circles was that former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake would be eased out of politics after election 2004. But President Chandrika Kumaratunga last week spiked the 'talk' when she said his name would head on the top of the National List when appointments are made. SLFP National Organiser Anuruddha Ratwatte is however completely out of election 2004, with his name omitted from both the list of candidates and the National List. Former Communist Party MP Raja Collure is also out of both lists and included in the NPFA National List are Prof. Tissa Vitharana and D.E.W. Gunasekera. Former PA MP Mrs. Mallika de Mel who crossed over to the UNP with her husband Ronnie de Mel, will also be out of politics after the election. Also out is former Nuwara-eliya PA MP Thilina Bandara Thennakoon, whose name is not included in both the lists. Former Foreign Minister and Media Minister of the caretaker government Lakshman Kadirgamar as usual is in the national list, as is former Education Minister and Galle District MP Richard Pathirana who had requested the party leadership to free him from political activities. The names of two Governors, Western and Southern Provinces, Alavi Moulana and Kingsley T. Wickremeratne, have also been omitted from both the candidate and national lists at the elections. Though the UNF has included almost all the ministers and deputy ministers in the national list, former Media Minister Imitiaz Bakeer Markar has rejected both contesting and coming into the national list. Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando has decided not to contest the election as he wished to apply for the post of UN General Secretary but his name lies in the national list. Former Nuwara-eliya district MP and late Gamini Dissanayake's son Naveen Dissanayake who will not contest this time, figures in the UNF national list. Veteran politician Ronnie de Mel who once practised his customary crossover to the UNF is in the National List and former MP Ravindra Randeniya is also on the List with Prof. G.L. Pieris, Thilak Marapona, K.N. Choksy, A.H.M. Azwar and several others. The UPFA also has three professors - Wishwa Warnapala, Tissa Witharana and A.V. Suraweera in its National List while President's Media Director General, Janadasa Peiris is also in the same list. The Ven. Maha Sangha has also come forward contesting the elections representing the Jathika Hela Urumaya led by the Sihala Urumaya leadership. Ven.Ellawala Medhananda, Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka, Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala and several other famous and prominent bhikkhus will also be in the fray at the general elections. |
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