Fewer Women Elected to New Parliament

4 Monday 12th April, 2010 The Island More News Page Four Speaker won’t be known until naming Fewer women elected of National List Asked whether former Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara to new parliament would be appoint- ed as the Speaker of the new Parliament, the SLFP said yester- day that a decision was possible only WJM after the naming of UPFA National List members. Chandrani Upeksha Thalatha Nirupama Sumedha lit- Pavithra Rosy Sudarshani Lokubandara, who publicly seats in parliament eracy rate in all of South Asia but, have Kumaratunga became the first woman switched his allegiance to President BY RANIL DHARMASENA are: Sumedha G. Jayasena – Moneragala the lowest record for women’s participa- president in Sri Lanka in 1994. Rajapaksa recently, is on the UPFA Fewer women were returned at last (UPFA), Pavithra Wanniarachchi – tion in national and local legislative bod- In 1981, Sri Lanka signed and ratified National List. week’s Parliamentary election, accord- Ratnapura (UPFA), Chandrani Bandara ies in South Asia, according to the recent the UN Convention on the Elimination of His son was elected from Badulla. ing to the preferential vote statistics Jayasinghe – Anuradhapura (UNP), statistical surveys. All Forms of Discrimination Against released so far by the Election Nirupama Rajapaksa – Hambantota Bangladesh reserves 19% of total Women (CEDAW), in which Article 7(b) Commissioner’s Department. (UPFA), Rosy Senanayake – Colombo seats for women while Pakistan and states that, “State parties shall take all Gayantha ahead of There have been only ten (10) women (UNP), Upeksha Swarnamali – Gampaha Nepal reserve 22% and 33% of total seats appropriate measures to eliminate dis- candidates elected so far for the seventh (UNP), Dr Sudarshani Fernandopulle – respectively for women in parliament. crimination against women in public Manusha in Galle parliament pending results of two dis- Gampaha (UPFA), Thalatha Atukorala – India recently passed a quota system and political life of the country by tricts, Kandy and Trincomalee, to be Ratnapura (UNP), Vijayakala also known as the ‘panchayatraj system’ ensuring the right to participate in the Apropos our released after re-polls in Nawalapitiya Maheshwaran - Jaffna (UNP) and which reserved one third of seats for formulation and implementation of gov- Saturday’s report and Kumburuppidy later this month. Sriyani Wijewickrama – Digamadulla women. ernment policy”. on preferential The sixth parliament had 13 women (UPFA). In 1960, Sri Lanka made political his- In 2000, Sri Lanka joined with 191 votes obtained by MPs. Women constitute 53% of the total tory when Sirima Ratwatte other countries to sign the Millennium candidates at the From almost 70 women who contest- population and have enjoyed universal Bandaranaike became the first woman Development Goals that promised to 2010 General ed the 2010 parliamentary elections, the franchise for the past 79 years. prime minister in the world. uplift and protect gender equality in all Election, former 10 women so far have managed to secure Sri Lankan women have the highest Later, her daughter Chandrika spheres of life. UNP MP Gayantha Karunathilake said he polled the high- Gayantha est manape (49,945), whereas as Manusha Nanayakkara April 8... From page 1 obtained 49,690. Three other JVPers of Ranawaka polled 112,010 the original group are and 120,333 votes to expected to enter secure fourth and third Businessman Parliament through the places, respectively in the National List. Anura two districts. The JHU shop dead Kumara Dissanayake, fielded three other candi- An unidentified guman on Saturday widely believed to be one dates in Kandy, Kalutara night shot dead businessman Suren of the major players in and Kurunegala. Asked Jayasinghe near the flyover at forming the UNP-JVP whether their candidate Pannipitiya. alliance to contest the in Kandy would stand a According to the Police, 37-year-old presidential election, will chance of being returend Jayasinghe, a resident of Battaramulla, be the JVP’s only , Warnasinghe denied the had been killed over a dispute arising National List representa- possibility. out of a financial transaction. tive. The NFF will Two JHU members, Picture shows Nugegoda Magistrate appoint Mohammed Ven. Ellewela Anura Kumara conductingkilling. Pic Musammil and Achala Medhananda thera and by Udeni Chandrasiri, Maharagama Jagoda as its National Ven Omalpe Sobitha Correspondent List members. thera are on the UPFA Among the unsuccess- National List. ful NFF candidates are The CWC was another This is the scene opposite the Sugathadasa Stadium down Bloemendhal Road. This section of the road, From Piyasiri Wijenayake loser with only three dotted with many potholes, is in a deplorable condition. Heavy vehicle traffic, including massive con- US... page 1 (Gampaha), Anjan Umma elected members at the tainers, is being blamed for the damage. Pedestrians find it difficult to walk on this stretch of the road decentralizing power, economic (Gampaha), Wimal 2010 General Election. while the potholes continue to plague motorists. Numerous requests to the authorities to repair the development, and securing human Weerawansa’s brother, CWC President Muttu road have fallen on deaf ears.(Photo Nimal Dayaratne) rights. We look forward to working Sarath (Matara), Sivalingham told The with the newly elected Sri Lankan Dharmasena Island that of the nine government and hope to strengthen Kodituwakku candidates fielded on the MR... From page 1 the historical ties of friendship and (Hambantota), versatile government ticket, only cooperation between our nations. artiste Buddhadasa three had been success- SLFP General Secretary had Fonseka not been detained by proceedings would not be an obsta- Vithanaarachchi ful. He said that all three Maithripala Sisisena said that the the Army on conspiracy charges. cle for Fonseka to attend parlia- (Kegalle), Aravinda successful candidates had Cabinet of Ministers would be Alahapperuma said that the ment. Vanniarachchi (Matale), contested from Nuwara restricted to 35. JVP and Mrs. Anoma Fonseka Weerawansa said that it would Matale... From page 1 Nimal Premawansa Eliya. “We secured the Alahapperuma and NFF leader were now silent about Fonseka’s be advantageous to candidates con- (Mahanuwara), Nimal three top slots,” he said. Wimal Weerawansa said that the health. In the run-up to the April 8 testing national elections to be According to him, his opponent dis- Piyatissa (Nuwara Eliya), Their candidates in JVP had cleverly used the Fonseka election, they accused the govern- behind bars and voters tend to tributed scurrilous leaflets ahead of Raja Ranjith Gunaratne Badulla, Kandy, factor to its advantage. They said ment of denying required medical exercise their franchise in support the election and also used a section of (Polonnaruwa), Ratnapura and Colombo that the JVP contested on the DNA treatment to the former Army of them. He said that a UNP candi- the media to target him and portray Senaratne de Silva were not successful. ticket under Fonseka’s leadership Commander, he said. Now they date, who contested from Kalutara, him as a sinister character. (SF) (Kurunegala), Samansiri Responding to a query by to gain sympathy votes. were talking about Fonseka’s role while being in custody polled the Herath (Puttalam) and The Island, he expressed Weerawansa said that the DNA in Parliament, he said, emphasiz- highest number of preferential Deepal Gunasekera confidence that the CWC would not have won even five seats, ing that the ongoing court martial votes.(SF) Poland... From page 1 (Ratnapura). could secure three “He taught Poles how to respect our The JHU, which con- National List slots. traditions, how to fight for our dignity, tested the April 2004 elec- At the previous elec- Susil... From page 1 and he made he made his sacrifice tion and won nine seats tion, the CWC contested there at that tragic place,” said Staron, in the last parliament, is on the UNP ticket and Responding to a query by Emphasising that they had foolish excuses for their latest 70. now reduced to two. JHU secured eight seats, The Island, Premjayantha said already established full control electoral defeat. He said that A nationwide two-minute silence spokesman Nishantha Sri including two National that it would not be appropriate in Parliament, Premjayantha nothing could be as idiotic as was scheduled at noon (1000 GMT; 6 Warnasinghe told The List slots. for him to comment on persons said that an overwhelming vic- trying to portray a low voter- a.m. EDT). The bodies of Kaczynski Island that of the five Upcountry People’s allegedly involved in incidents, tories at the January 26 presi- turn out at the general election and his wife were expected in Warsaw JHU candidates, who Front (UPF) stalwart P. which prompted Elections dential election and the general as a defeat for the UPFA. by early afternoon, the Foreign Ministry said. entered the fray on the Radhakrishnan, who con- Commissioner Dayananda election would give a turbo Acknowledging that the turn- Saturday evening, Kacyznski’s twin government ticket, Ven. tested on the UPFA tick- Dissanayake to order a re-poll. boost to the UPFA’s development out was low when compared brother Jaroslaw flew to Smolensk and Athureliye Rathana thera et, failed to retain his Supporters of former minis- efforts. with previous general elections, identified the bodies. (Gampaha) and Patali seat. He said that the ters, Mahindananda SLFP General Secretary he said that the UPFA had People also continued to stream to Champika Ranawaka UPF had contested on its Aluthgamage and Susantha Maithripala Sisisena invited increased its percentage to 60.43 the stately presidential palace in (Colombo) had been suc- own in Badulla and Punchinilame are alleged to elected members of the per cent from 57 per cent Warsaw’s historic center, where large cessful. Nuwara Eliya but unsuc- have caused mayhem at Opposition to accept President obtained at the January 26 pres- sections of the street were blocked to Ven. Ratana and cessfully.

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