National list crisis jolts JVP

• Sunil Handunetti, former Auditor General on JVP national list
• Lalkantha defeated in Colombo District quits as provincial councillor
• JVP Leader denies internal party rift caused Lalkantha’s resignation
• “Resigned to engage in national politics as per party’s new plan”: Lalkantha

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The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) whose performance in Monday’s parliamentary election failed to match expectations, has named its former MP Sunil Handunetti and respected civil servant and formed Auditor General Sarathchandra Mayadunne as it two nominees for the national list.

Handunetti, who contested as a JVP candidate in the Matara District, was defeated in the 17 August poll, when the party failed to secure enough votes to win a seat in the region.

His elimination created a public outcry and mounting pressure on the JVP to bring him to the legislature through its national list.

The JVP won a total of four seats islandwide, after polling 543,944 votes in the election this week and received an allocation of an additional two members to be appointed on the national list.

The JVP was hailed for naming former Auditor General Mayadunne to lead its national list submitted pre-election among a string of respected academics and professionals. Mayadunne is remembered for an exemplary career in the public service and for having the courage to highlight state sector corruption in his reports to Parliament, actions that won him plaudits at a time when public officials were being intimidated into submission by the political leadership.

Meanwhile, JVP trade union leader and defeated candidate in the Colombo District K.D. Lalkantha resigned as an MP of the Western Provincial Council to engage in national politics.

“I went to the provincial council at that time because there was a need for it. Now there is a need for me to work on national politics according to the party’s new plan,” he said remarking on his resignation.

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake denied the resignation was a result of an internal party conflict on his official Facebook page.

JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath requested the media to refrain from distorting the issue, saying Lalkantha had resigned his provincial council membership in order to pursue full-time engagement in the party’s trade union network. “His membership in the council was an impediment to his activities,” Herath noted. (DB)