Tag of war over symbols continues for Sajith led alliance

• UNP WC meeting posted till tomorrow
• Committee appointed to decide on symbol expected to give decision at WC meeting
• Several UNP members adamant about contesting under Elephant symbol
• New party calling itself Patriot UNP sends application to EC and requests heart symbol

A UNP Working Committee meeting scheduled for yesterday to finalise the symbol under which the new Sajith Premadasa led alliance would contest the upcoming General Election was postponed till

MP Sajith Premadasa

tomorrow as a party calling itself the Patriotic UNP (PUNP) lodged an application with the Election Commission seeking registration with the heart as its symbol.

Discussions have been underway since last week to decide if the Samagi Jana Balawegaya or United National Power (UNP), the newly formed alliance should contest under the Swan symbol or the Elephant symbol.

A Committee comprising Premadasa, Malik Samarawickrama, Mangala Samaraweera, Kabir Hashim, Ravi Karunanayake, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Lakshman Kiriella and John Amaratunga was appointed to finalise the issue over the symbol, but differences remain with several UNP MPs adamant about contesting under the Elephant symbol.

Galle District MP Vajira Abeywardena who is aligned to UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that a decision for the UNP to contest under another symbol other than the Elephant must be well thought through. 

He said that in the UNP contested the 1977 General Elections under the Elephant symbol even though the party contested with the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) as an alliance partner. “CWC leader S. Thondaman’s party also contested under Elephant and did not ask to change the symbol. We should make a note of these factors when deciding the symbol,” Abeywardena told reporters at a press briefing yesterday.

Meanwhile a party calling itself the Patriotic UNP yesterday sent in an application to the Election Commission and requested that the Heart symbol be allocated for this party. Party General Secretary Sugath Hewapathirana, who is a former member of the Kolonnawa Pradeshiya Sabha, sent the application.

EC sources said that the heart symbol is not on the list of symbols for political parties issued in the gazette by the Commission and all requests for allocation of new symbols will be considered after the date of the General Election is announced.

The Premadasa-led alliance had also previously requested for the Heart symbol to be allocated to it.