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| Wednesday, 25 February 2004 |
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| Nominations close for April 2 election Parties gear for polls campaign by Anura Maitipe and Bharatha Malawaraarachchi Nominations for the April 2 General Election closed at 12 noon yesterday with both main political parties, the United People's Freedom Alliance and the United National Front fielding candidates in 21 districts. Many other parties handed over nominations yesterday. Freedom Alliance General Secretary Susil Premajayanth said they have fielded candidates for 21 districts and will extend support to the EPDP in the Jaffna District. The UNF too will not put forward candidates in Digamadulla, Batticaloa and Trincomalee but instead will support the SLMC candidates in these districts. All contesting parties are now planning to begin their election campaigns as soon as possible. Campaigning can continue till midnight on March 29, after which any form of propaganda will be prohibited. UNF stalwart Karunasena Kodituwakku said he was unaware of the party's position on contesting the Jaffna district, but said they would contest all other districts. "We were preparing lists for filing nominations to the North even the night before and I am not aware of what took place after that," Kodituwakku told reporters outside the Colombo District Secretariat. Meanwhile, in a surprise development former UNP MP for Jaffna district T. Maheshwaran also gained UNP nomination from the Colombo district. "There were a lot of requests for me to contest from the Colombo district and I could not refuse," Maheshwaran explained. Both main contenders predicted comfortable victories for their parties at the elections. Premajayantha yesterday expressed confidence of an overwhelming victory for the Freedom Alliance. "All reports indicate that we will record a massive victory at this election. A large number of people from all communities are rallying round our Alliance. They are fed up with the UNF's two year rule which almost devastated the country," he said. Kodituwakku said the UNF will be in a comfortable position to win the election. "We can easily win this election. The PA and it's alliance are cooking up statistics to show that they will win. But their defeat is inevitable," he added. Responding to a question over the Buddhist monks entering the election fray, Premajayanth said the UNF Government should take the responsibility for creating a situation which forced even Buddhist monks to contest elections. Kodituwakku declined to comment on the Buddhist monks' decision to contest elections. New Left Front Leader Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne said they have fielded candidates countrywide to defeat the Freedom Alliance and the UNF."Although the UNF stood for peace, it's a party of "brokers" while PA has now formed a barbaric alliance with the JVP. There is a national need to defeat both these parties," he added. Sinhale Maha Sammatha Bhoomi Puthra Pakshaya's leader Dr. Harishchandra Wijetunga said the country is at a very decisive moment." It is the duty of everyone to vote to create a truly Buddhist country." Veteran UNPer M.H.Mohamed handed in his party nominations at the Colombo District Secretariat yesterday while in the Provinces the Freedom Alliance Group leaders submitted nominations. The Freedom Alliance handed in nominations for Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Matara, Galle, Hambantota, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Badulla, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa Anuradhapura, Digamadulla, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Vanni. Its main rival, the UNF handed in nominations for Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Matara, Galle, Hambantota, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Badulla, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Digamadulla, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Vanni. |
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