MR Ruffled Over Rejection of Prasanna's Nominations: Threatens To Field Own Group EXCLUSIVE

July 08, 2015
Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga's nomination is turning out to be a crucial point in the controversy surrounding the UPFA nominations.
 
Highly placed party sources told Asian Mirror that the SLFP has made a decision to refrain from giving nominations to the Western Province Chief Minister and two members of his family have already received nominations from the party to contest from Gampaha. Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has vehemently opposed the Chief Minister's nominations saying three members of the same family should not be allowed to contest from the party, at any cost.
 
Following this new development, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had communicated to the party seniors, including UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha, that he would field his own team separately if the party denied nominations for Prasanna Ranatunga.
 
Rajapaksa had also stated that all members of his "core group" should receive nominations to contest from the UPFA.
 

After Rajapaksa's demand, the UPFA nominations process, which went smoothly on Wednesday morning, has hit a fresh snag. UPFA and SLFP seniors are now holding discussions with the former President's group to arrive at some settlement with regard to the party's nominations.

 
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