A tense situation prevailed at the monthly meeting of the Maharagama Urban Council yesterday as opposition members of the council protested at the swearing in of six SLPP (Pohottuwa) members to the Urban Council (UC).
The Maharagama UC has been a controversial one at the last Local Government elections, starting with the rejection of the SLPP nomination list to the council. The party however ran through a proxy, independent group under the bicycle symbol. They won 25 seats at the council.
Seventeen of their members were from Divulapitiya/Badalgama and six from Wellawatte, only two were from Maharagama, said Maharagama UNP member Danushka Ramanayake.
Yesterday, one member from the SLFP, 11 from the UNP, five from JVP, one from Independent group 1 and five from the Badalgama group of the bicycle party got together to protest the six appointments. Maharagama UC, Chairman Tiraj Lakruwan having waited for the members to assemble had to postpone proceedings to June 20, due to a lack of quorum.
Chairman of the Elections Commission, Mahinda Deshapriya however said that they had the power to appoint six new female members from outside if there were no women on the list.
The six female members of the SLPP are, Savithri Gunasekara, Inoka Anuradha Ranaweera, Chithrani Sugathapala, Dineththi Heyara Jayasekara, Rewathi Mangalika Sigera and former Maharagama UC member, Kanthi Kodikara.
Kodikara speaking to Daily News said the UNP was simply incensed that their plans to get rid of the bicycle party and the SLPP were being thwarted. She said that when the Council meets next, more members of the SLPP would replace those of the bicycle party.
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