JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that its Matara District candidate Sunil Handunnetti was appointed through the national list following strong popular demand.

Silva said yesterday that Handunnetti cannot be described as a defeated candidate. He was not elected because the JVP could not attract enough votes, Silva elaborated. Furthermore, he pointed out that the JVP missed representation in several districts by a matter of a few hundred votes.

Therefore the JVP candidates who lost representation in these districts cannot be described as defeated candidates, Silva said.

The appointment of Handunnetti through the national list reportedly divided the Politburo of the JVP. Meanwhile, Attorney-at-Law Chrishmal Warnasuriya, who was second in the JVP national list, lashed out at the JVP leadership in public.