UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera referring to the present crisis in the North Central Provincial Council (NCPC) said that there is hardly any possibility for the 18 UPFA members of the Council, who decided to act independently, and to appoint one of its members as the Chief Minister.
According to the Provincial Council Act, the authority to change the Chief Minister is vested with the UPFA General Secretary, as the majority in the NCPC is held by the UPFA.
Therefore, if these 18 UPFA councillors violate the party rules or act against the party’s interest, the UPFA General Secretary has the power to remove them as well, the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
“Merely because a group of UPFA councillors have decided to act as an independent group in the Council, they have no power whatsoever to change the incumbent NCPC Chief Minister,” he said. Asked whether the party hierarchy has decided to take action against these 18 councillors, Minister Amarawera said that doesn’t arise as these councillors cannot oust the incumbent Chief Minister on their whims and fancies.
Meanwhile, UPFA Anuradhapura District MP S.M. Chandrasena told the Sunday Observer that of those 18 councillors, 17 met former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at his official residence in Colombo on Friday (May 12) to discuss the modalities to change the present power structure of the NCPC while one councillor who is indisposed also contacted the former President via telephone.
He said 18 councillors elected to the NCPC on the UPFA ticket have decided to function as an independent group in the Council and also switch allegiance to the Joint Opposition (JO) led by former President Rajapaksa.
But we have sought legal advice on whether there is any possibility of appointing a councillor who has the consent of the majority of the councillors as the Chief Minister.
“On receipt of the legal advice within the next few days, we would decide on our next course of action.”
Asked about the comment by the Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya that according to the Provincial Council Act, only the UPFA General Secretary is vested with the power to change the Chief Minister, the JO front liner said that in the first instance, the UPFA General Secretary can of course do so, but if any crisis situation erupts on a second occasion, the person who could muster the support of the majority of the councillors can become the Chief Minister.