Three provincial councils dissolved

Election fever is back with the announcement that three provincial councils dissolved yesterday.

The Elections Secretariat has confirmed that it has received the dissolution documents of North Central, Sabaragamuwa and Eastern provincial councils ratified by the respective governors.

The Governor of North Central Province Karunarathna Divulgane said that the gazette notification in this regard had already been sent in for print.

Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya has called all additional election secretaries for a meeting to discuss preoperational activities.

A senior government source told ColomboPage that the elections are likely to be held on the first week of September and governing party members have been asked to be prepared to face elections in the three provinces on September 7th.

The term of the Eastern Provincial Council was to end in March 2013 and the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils in September 2013.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s ruling United People’s Freedom alliance (UPFA) sources say the ruling alliance has decided to keep the Chief Minister position of the North Central Provincial Council open at the upcoming election.

Incumbent Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayaka has held the post two times consecutively.

However, the Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa Province Mahipala Herath announced today that he would contest as the Chief Minister candidate for the PC.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s major opposition United National Party (UNP) sources said the party has commenced talks with the government politicians to form alliances and to win their support for the elections.

Party sources said the UNP held discussions with the resigned Presidential Adviser and former deputy Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara. Sources said he has been invited to contest the North Central Provincial Council election as the Chief Minister candidate of the UNP.

UNP sources further say that the party has commenced discussions with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Tamil National Alliance to form an alliance to contest to the Eastern Provincial Council election.