CM issue only after poll

Rasika Somarathna

The TMVP yesterday said the debate surrounding who the Chief Minister (CM) is going to be if the UPFA secures victory at the Eastern Provincial Council polls, should not detract the alliance from the main issue at hand which is winning the elections.

TMVP spokesman Azath Moulana told the Daily News that the issue of the Chief Minister's post would be taken up for discussion only after the polls conclude.

He added that the TMVP which swept the board at the Batticaloa local polls would fully back the UPFA to secure victory at the forthcoming Provincial Council Elections in the East.

It is expected that the UPFA which has the backing of a number of political parties at the Provincial Council polls would hand in their nominations on April 2 and 3. Meanwhile, the UNP and the SLMC were scheduled to hold a final round of talks yesterday evening on a possible alliance to contest the poll.

SLMC spokesman Hassen Ali told the Daily News yesterday that certain news reports which suggested that the party had agreed to contest under the UNP's elephant symbol was false and the final decision would only be taken today after a meeting between leaders Ranil Wickremesinghe and Rauff Hakeem.

Meanwhile, the possibility of a new alliance contesting the PC polls is in the offing with the PLOTE, EPRLF (padmanabha faction) and TULF coalition getting the backing of a few Leftist wing parties in the South.

This alliance, if it happens, is expected to contest as the Tamil Democratic National Alliance (TDNA) along with the left party coalition of United Socialist Alliance. It has also invited the EPDP to join forces. However both the EPDP and JVP are expected to go it alone with the former having already finalised their nominations list for the poll.

Meanwhile, with only three days for the closure of nominations noon on April 3, not a single main stream political party had handed over their nominees by noon yesterday.

However according to Election Authorities eight independent groups had placed deposits by noon yesterday with seven from Ampara and one from Batticaloa. A total number of 37 members (including two bonus seats) are expected to be elected to the Eastern Provincial Council at the elections slated to take place on May 10.