Southern PC dissolved, election in October

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 August 2009, 16:24 GMT]
The Southern Provincial Council has been dissolved with effect from midnight Monday yesterday. Governor of the Southern Provincial Council Ms. Kumari Balasooriya dissolved the Council using the powers vested in her and the relevant gazette had been sent to the Government Printer at the time this edition went to press.

A gazette notification by Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake calling for nominations for elections to the next council would be issued in a week or so, government sources said.

The election is likely to be held in the first week of October, sources said.

Governor Balasooriya said that the term of the Southern Provincial Council was to end on August 15.

Southern Province is the native district of President Mahinda Rajapakse.

One of his sons, Namal Rajapakse, is expected to lead the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the province and is also tipped to the post of Chief Minister.