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Central Provincial Council : UNF takes over

by Jayantha Sri Nissanka

Ending the political tug of war at the Central Provincial Council, Opposition Leader W.M.P.B Dissanayake will take oaths as the Chief Minister before Governor K.B.Ratnayaka today morning in Anuradhapura.

The present Chief Minister, Sarath Ekanayake will tender his resignation to the Governor today around 10 a.m.

Finally, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga agreed to hand over the CPC administration amicably to the opposition which commands the majority in the CPC at yesterday's meeting with Opposition Leader W.M.P.B Dissanayake at the President's House.

Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake and the Leader of the Opposition participated at the meeting with the President. They also met Governor K.B.Ratnayaka on Sunday.

"Handing over of the CPC administration to the Opposition was in our mind during the last couple of weeks respecting the democratic norms. We were awaiting President Kumaratunga arrival from India completing her official tour", Present Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake told the Daily News yesterday.

I will tender my resignation letter to Governor K.B.Ratnayaka today at 10.00 am, he said.

Due to the political musical chairs played at the CPC, the administration came to standstill paralysing the entire public services such as education,health, salary payments, and settlement of water, electricity, telephone bills, etc. Even 35,000 CPC employees could not celebrate the long awaited Sinhala/Hindu new year, Chief Opposition Whip Wasantha Aluvihare said.

Despite the advice of the Attorney-General to the Governor that no payments would be legal after the defeat of the Council Budget, the Secretary of the CPC H.R.Wijesiri has obtained a bank overdraft worth Rs. 294 million at 31 percent interest to pay salaries.

The PA lost its majority in the Council in December 2001. As a result they were unable to present the Budget or the Policy Statement. A Vote on Account passed in December 2001 lapsed at the end of March. The Budget brought forward in March was defeated by a majority of eight votes.

The Governor has not responded to three sets of affidavits presented to him by 31 members in December 2001, in February 2002 and in March 2002. In February, the affidavits were signed at the Governor's Office since he raised doubts as to the genuineness of the signatures in the affidavits submitted in December 2001.

Opposition members had also to obtain a court injunction preventing the dissolution of the Council until May 8.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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