Faiszer’s national list appointment sparks controversy

Wednesday, 11 December 2024 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Faiszer Musthapha

UNP General Secretary Wajira Abeywardene says NDF General Secretary Sharmila Perera had no authority to make such appointments unilaterally
Calls Mustapha’s nomination a form of political theft and says decision should have been made by NDF leadership
Coalition partner Azath Salley says while one National List seat was filled improperly other should have been handled with greater transparency
NDF General Secretary Sharmila Perera officially notifies ECSL on nomination of Faiszer Musthapha, PC as MP through NDF’s National List

Faiszer Musthapha, a senior lawyer and seasoned politician, previously held the position of Minister of Sports and Provincial Councils and Local Government. The NDF, which contested the 2024 General Election under the symbol of the Gas Cylinder, secured three parliamentary seats and two National List appointments.

The nomination of Musthapha has however now sparked controversy among NDF partners. United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Wajira Abeywardene criticised the decision, asserting that Sharmila Perera had no authority to make such appointments unilaterally, calling it a form of political theft. He insisted that such decisions should rest with the NDF leadership.

Coalition partner Azath Salley echoed these concerns, alleging that while one National List seat was filled improperly, the other should have been handled with greater transparency.

When asked by the media, UNP’s Thalatha Athukorala said she was unaware of Muthapha’s appointment.

The New Democratic Front is an alliance comprising the UNP, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and the Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna (PENP), formed to contest the General Election. The other National List seat was controversially allocated to former minister Ravi Karunanayake of the UNP under similar circumstances.

Initially, it was proposed that the two National List seats be shared between the PENP and the UNP, with the final decision to be reached collectively by all alliance members. However, on 18 November, Sharmila Perera submitted Ravi Karunanayake’s name to the Election Commission for one of the seats, bypassing this consensus.

Subsequently, the PENP proposed Kanchana Wijesekera, a former minister who contested unsuccessfully in the Matara District, for the second National List seat. However, this nomination has now been side-lined, leaving Wijesekera without an appointment.