10.6.2008
Sunil C. Perera and Chithralal Jayasinghe
Government
dissolved its two Provincial Councils effect from mid
night today [9].Those councils are Sabaragamuwa and North
Central Provincial councils.
Accordingly,
the date of the elections will be announced shortly. In
last week political and government sources said President
Mahinda Rajapaksa had a meeting with the Chief Ministers
of the two provinces and Provincial Ministers to seek
their consent to declare elections to the councils.
Sabaragamuwa
Chief Minister, Mahipala Herath and North Central Chief
Minister, Bertie Premalal Dissanayake gave their approval
for an election at this stage, as they did not have a
majority to run their respective councils.
In
the North Central Province, the UPFA has only 13 members,
the UNP 10, the JVP 8 and the SLMC 1.
The
government has only 19 seats while the opposition enjoys
26 seats. Of them, the UNP has 15 members, the JVP 10
and the Ceylon Workers Congress 1.
Earlier,
Opposition Leader of the North Central Province, R. B.
Abeysinghe said he would file suit against the government
if the council was dissolved.
Citing
13th Amendment to the Constitution, which established
the provincial council system, he said the governor concerned
could dissolve a council only if the majority of members
approved it.
Courtesy - Asian
Tribune