UPFA ex-co to work out election strategy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 February 2004, 16:22 GMT]
The executive committee of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance(UPFA), formed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). will meet Monday to work out the strategy to face the snap general election, which is to be held on April 2nd. Party sources said.

Mr.Nandana Gunatilake, President of the UPFA, is to preside over the executive committee to formulate a scheme to select candidates from the SLFP and JVP to contest the general election, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Tittawela-Samarawickrema committee would not meet as scheduled on Monday. The committee has been appointed in a bid to broker a compromise formula to solve the current political impasse between the executive and legislature following the take-over of three key ministries, including defense, from the United National Front government by the President, sources said.

Mr. Mano Tittawela is an advisor to the President and Mr.Malik Samarawickrema is the chairman of the United National Party. This committee has been meeting since November last year to formulate cohabitation programme between President and Prime Minister, sources said.

In the meantime, several senior leaders of the United National Party Sunday morning held a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence “ Temple Trees” with Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe in the chair to discuss the political situation following the dissolution of parliament, sources said.