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UNP, SLMC in tie-up for provincial polls

COLOMBO: The opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) have entered into a formal electoral pact to contest the election to the Eastern Provincial Council (PC) scheduled for May.

A senior UNP leader told The Hindu that the alliance was formalised at a meeting here on Tuesday evening. “It has been decided that candidates of both the parties would contest on the UNP election symbol, elephant. Talks would continue on seat sharing and details could be expected to be finalised in the next few days,” the leader said.

April 3 is the last date for filing nominations. The Tamil Makkal Vidutai Pulikal, a rebel LTTE faction, has entered into a pact with the ruling United People’s Freedom Party (UPFA) of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Hours after the SLMC-UNP tie-up was formalised, senior SLMC leader M.L.A.M. Hisbullah joined the UPFA.

On Wednesday, SLMC leader and former Minister, Rauf Hakeem, along with two of his colleagues quit Parliament and announced that they would contest the Eastern PC election.

Separately, the Sri Lankan Air Force claimed its jets pounded “a secret rendezvous place of the LTTE” frequented by top leaders, including Velupillai Prabakaran, in Mullaittiuvu on Wednesday.

According to Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Andrew Wijesooriya, the fighter pilots confirmed the target was accurately hit. He said it was too early to assess the damage to the terrorists in the air raid.

The military said troops advanced into an 800m long LTTE defence line at Kalliadanchan, 1.5 km north of Giant’s Tank northern bund on the Mannar front during an early hour offensive and that 13 LTTE cadres and a soldier was killed in the battles in the north.

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