Leaders of the United National Front (UNF) Government are to sign Memorandums of Understanding with the coalition’s Presidential hopeful, Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa on October 2, the Sunday Observer learns.
Last week, the United National Party (UNF) working committee unanimously decided to nominate deputy leader of the party Minister Premadasa as the Presidential candidate of the party following a discussion with UNF government leaders.
A member of the Tamil Progressive Alliance, a key coalition member of the Government and Non-Cabinet Minister of Special Areas Development, V. Radhakrishnan told the Sunday Observer that Minister Premadasa will sign MOUs with all party leaders of the Government next Wednesday.
“We were asked to meet Minister Premadasa on October 2. We have prepared our proposals to the UNF candidate under a few categories,” the Minister said.
“We made proposals to the election manifesto under a few categories, such as plantation, estate housing, education, job opportunities and welfare. But these are not conditions,” the Nuwara Eliya district Parliamentarian said.
Minister Premadasa has announced that he would contest under a common symbol, instead of the ‘elephant’ symbol of the UNP.
“According to our final discussions over the election symbol, I will contest under swan symbol,” Minister Premadasa told the media in Sirikotha, minutes after him being named as the candidate.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) General Secretary, Nisam Kariyappar told the Sunday Observer yesterday that they will decide upon the MOU signing to support Sajith Premadasa after a Party High Command meeting due today (29).
SLMC Leader and City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education Minister Rauff Hakeem has pledged his support to the UNP candidate, the media reported last week.
(Sunday Observer)