By Shamindra Ferdinando

New Democratic Front (NDF) Secretary Sharmila Perera said that one of the two National List slots offered to the party remained vacant for want of a consensus among four political parties regarding their nominee. Among them are the UNP and various factions consisting of former SLPP lawmakers.

Ms. Perera, who had been the second on their NDF NL submitted to the Election Commission said that there was no deadline to make a formal declaration regarding NL appointments. The NDF Secretary said so when The Island sought an explanation regarding the inordinate delay in filling the remaining vacancy.

The issue at hand is beyond my purview, she said, adding that in terms of the agreement among political parties that contested the recently concluded general election on the NDF ticket, regardless of the number of NL slots received by them, NDF was to choose one. The NDF named former Minister and UNPer Ravi Karunanayake as their choice.

In addition to the three seats secured at the general election, the NDF received two NL slots.

Three SLPPers, namely Anuradha Jayaratne (Mahanuwara), Rohitha Abeygunawardena (Kalutara) and Chamara Sampath Dassanayake (Badulla) successfully contested on the NDF ticket. At a meeting chaired by UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, the NDF constituents recently named Jayaratne as the leader of the NDF parliamentary group. A section of the SLPP rebels have proposed former Power Minister Kanchana Wijesekera for the NL slot.

Three NL slots of the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) remain to be filled. So far the SJB has named only two, namely Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Muhammathu Saali Naleem of the SLMC. When asked yesterday when the remaining SJB vacancies would be filled, SJB and Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said in due course.

Among those who have sought an opportunity to enter Parliament through SJB’s NL are SJB Chairman Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Sujeewa Senasinghe, Hirunika Premachandra, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Dullas Alahapperuma and Mano Ganesan. In addition, the SLMC has asked for another slot while the ACMC, too, has requested one slot in line with their agreement with the SJB.

Earlier, both NDF constituents and the SJB indicated that the remaining NL slots could be filled before Parliament met on Dec 03.

Parliament consists of 196 elected and 29 appointed members.

Political sources said that the decision on the remaining four NL slots was unlikely this week. Parliamentary sittings are scheduled to continue till Friday (06).