25.5.2008
Eastern
Provincial Council Chief Ministership is to be rotated
amongst the three community leaders elected recently at
the provincial council election.
Just
after the elections to the Provincial Council, United
Peoples Freedom Alliance which emerged victorious with
18+ 2 bonus = 20 seats out of the total of 37, appointed
Chanthirakanthan Sivanesathurai, the Tamil candidate from
the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal as Chief Minister
of the East.
After
a period of two years, he is to be succeeded by Minister
M.L.A.M Hisbullah, a Muslim community candidate for the
next two years. After Hisbullah, a Sinhalese elected from
the Sri Lanka Freedom Party within the UPFA is to be given
the Chief Ministership for the balance period of one year.
The
issue of Chief Ministership was considererd in the midst
of the UPFA as a contentious issue and earlier, Hisbullah
demanded that he should be made the Chief Minister as
Muslims have won 8 out of the 18 UPFA elected seats.
Subsequently
Basil Rajapakse, the Senior Advisor to President Mahinda
Rajapakse denied that no such assurance was given to anyone.
He said that there was a misunderstanding when the President
told them in the Sinhala language.
Basil
Rajapakse said in an interview “I think the whole
thing has been misinterpreted during the elections campaign.
But the President never said that he would appoint the
person who got the most number of seats. The President,
I am certain, said in Sinhalese, ‘Wediyen gaththa
ekkanakta balaya denawa.’ This did not mean the
President made any specific reference to any specific
number of seats.”
He
further said, “The outcome of this statement obviously
referred to the person who secured more votes and commanded
more support in the region. I feel this has been sadly
misinterpreted, according to some. But it is alright for
anybody to think in any way he or she wants. Ultimately,
the party and the head of the party have to decide. And
that is democracy.”
Though
at present the issue is settled as Hisbullah has taken
oaths as the Minister of Health, it is now learnt that
the UPFA leadership has clearly indicated to all the stakeholders
the clear future arrangements with regards to the Chief
Ministership of the East.
Courtesy - Asian Tribune