Cooray reappointed Chief Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 July 2005, 00:59 GMT]
Governor Mr.Alavi Mowlana Friday reappointed Mr.Reginald Cooray of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) as Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council removing Mr.Nandana Mendis, after a split in the SLFP increased support to Mr Cooray, political sources said. Mr Mendis took oath of office on 22 June after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the UPFA and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Mr Cooray is to be sworn in on Sunday, Governor Mr.Alavi Mowlana said.

MoU was signed after JVP withdrew its support to the UPFA government in the parliament over the controversial P-TOMS.

The Governor took the dramatic decision Friday when a group of 61 councillors of 104 including the UPFA and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) extended their support to Mr Cooray who resigned from the post two weeks ago to avoid a no-confidence motion tabled by the UNP, sources said.

The JVP while being in the UPFA extended its support to the UNP sponsored no-confidence motion. Following the withdrawal from the UPFA government on the joint mechanism issue, the JVP however signed an MoU with the UPFA councillors in the WPC to stop the UNP coming to power in the WPC, sources said.

But a section of the UPFA who are members of the SLFP, main constituent in the ruling alliance who are opposed to the MoU reached an agreement with the UNP to reappoint Mr.Reginald Cooray. Hence 61 councillors submitted in writing their support to Mr.Reginald Cooray.

Thereafter the Governor summoned a meeting of party leaders in the council Friday morning and decided to reappoint Mr Cooray as the Chief Minister, sources said.