Ex-Foreign Minister, new Governor for NorthEast?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 14:22 GMT]
Mr.Tyronne Fernando, Foreign Minister in the former United National Front (UNF) government, is tipped to be the next Governor of the North East Province replacing Major General (retd) Asoka Jayawardene who is to assume duties as the Secretarary to the Ministry of Defence with effect from December 1, provincial sources said.

Mr.Tyronne Fernando represented Moratuwa electorate in parliament from the main opposition United National Party (UNP) for several years and held ministerial portfolios including the post of Foreign Minister in the UNF government headed by Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe.

He did not get enough preferential votes under the proportionate electoral system at the general election this year on April 2 to the parliament.

He resigned from the UNP when he was not nominated through the party's national list to parliament and later joined the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

His name is being now mentioned in the government circles as the prospective candidate for the post of NorthEast Provincial Council, which is to fall vacant when Major General Asoka Jayawardene assumed duties as Defence Secretary replacing Mr.Cyril Herath, sources said.