MR to contest election from Kurunegala

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP) believes that the UNP has already accepted defeat even before they head in for the upcoming election. Chairman of the SLPP Prof. G.L. Peiris made this statement during a media briefing held on Monday (Nov 12). Prof. G.L. Peiris stated that the UNP is going to court and "asking for an order to stop the election" because they are afraid of the public opinion. He also turned his attention towards former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, saying that the world has witnessed how he handled his affairs in a partisan manner. "He (Karu Jayasuriya) is dreaming that he is the President of the country. Maybe he thinks that, with the crisis in the UNP, he will have an opportunity when Ranil Wickremesinghe is removed." said the SLPP Chairman. Former MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena also addressed the media, saying that since the Bond Scam, "masterminded by former Prime Minister (Ranil Wickremesinghe)", the UNP has had to pay it's MPs to keep them inline. He noted that if democracy was the need of the hour then dissolving Parliament was the best decision that could have been taken. When inquired if the SLPP and the SLFP would be contesting the election separately, Abeygunawardene noted that the two parties are currently in discussions to form a broad alliance. When asked what would happen to the parliamentary seats of SLFP members who took up membership in the SLPP, if the supreme court rules to cancel the scheduled election and reconvene parliament, Prof. G.L. Peris noted that the parliamentary seats will not be affected. Rohitha Abeygunawardene chimed in, stating that it is the SLFP that should conduct a disciplinary inquiry in such a situation and he doesn't see this taking place as they are in discussions to form an alliance. Abeygunwardene went onto state that they will not engage in a  "political witch hunt" against Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP, but noted that they would take legal action against any destruction of property as Temple trees is a state property. He also revealed that PM Mahinda Rajapaksa will contest the upcoming election from the Kurunegala district, while his brother Chamal Rajapaksa and son Namal Rajapaksa will contest from Hambantota.