The Horana Municipal Council general meeting that began this morning was marred by unrest due to the presence of an additional UNP MP. Our correspondent says that the meeting had to be adjourned due to the unrest that arose at that time.
The UNP MP who had resigned from his post on a previous occasion and the new MP appointed in his place both took seats in the council and due to this, Horana Municipal Council Chairman Anil Indika Premasiri decided to adjourn the general meeting.
Municipal Councillor Sandanam Johnson Paul, who had defected from the UNP during the last general meeting, resigned from his post. The MP who resigned in this way submitted a letter again about a week later, informing that he would take back his decision to resign.
However, the United National Party, which already held the seat, nominated Rajeeva Vasula Gunasekara for the vacant seat. The Returning Officer of the Horana Municipal Council, Kalindra Jayaweera Fernando, issued a gazette notification to this effect.
In this context, UNP Horana Municipal Council member Saranga Senanayake, who stated that the resigned member had no right to sit in the council, presented the gazette notification issued by the Returning Officer naming Rajeeva Vasula Gunasekara as a municipal council member to the council.
Unable to resolve the dilemma that arose, the Chairman of the Horana Municipal Council asked both members to resign from the council, but the council had to be adjourned as both of them did not agree to it.
In the last local government elections, no party had a clear mandate in the Horana Municipal Council. The United National Party won 2 seats, the National People’s Power 6 seats. The United People’s Front won 1 seat, the United People’s Power 2 seats and the Independent Group No. 1 won 2 seats, so the total opposition won 7 seats and the National People’s Power 6 seats.
Finally, when it came to obtaining the post of Chairman of the Municipal Council, the UNP elected MP Sandanan Johnson Paul used his vote with the MP group of the National People’s Power. Due to his decision, the National People’s Power was established in the Municipal Council.
However, a few days later, he resigned from his MP position and a few weeks later, he changed his decision and announced that he would withdraw his resignation letter. However, the city council position of MP Sandanan Johnson Paul has already been challenged due to the gazette notification of the name of the MP nominated by the UNP.
It is said that due to the political change of the Municipal Councilor Sandanam Paul, he was opposed by the UNP members, and therefore he resigned. However, political sources say that due to the influence of the parties that supported his change, he decided to withdraw his resignation letter.
However, the sources say that the UNP is quickly filling the vacancy and that MP Sandanam Paul has fallen into a political trap. Accordingly, the power of the National People’s Force in the Horana Municipal Council is at risk, the sources further say.