Pillaiyan's appointment was met with stiff resistance from the other aspirant to the post of chief minister, M. L. A. M. Hisbullah.

Three UPFA councillors led by M. L. A. M. Hisbullah yesterday wrote to the Eastern Province Governor Rear Admiral (retd.) Mohan Wijewickrema a few hours before the appointment of the new chief minister that they would function as a separate group in the Eastern Provincial Council with Hisbullah as the group leader.

However, the Governor's office denied it had received any such letter.

According to a copy of the letter The Island has seen they did not give their consent to the UPFA for the appointment of anyone other than Hisbullah as Chief Minister.

The letter said the UPFA, therefore, did not command the majority in the council without them. As a result, they said, no one other than Hisbullah would enjoy the confidence of the majority of councillors.

They asked for prior consultation with them before the appointment of the chief minister and board of ministers of the Eastern PC.

The signatories to the letter copied to the UPFA General Secretary Minister Susil Premjayantha were M. L. A. M. Hisbullah, S. J. Salih and M. S. Subair.

The UPFA has 20 seats in the council, the UNP 15 and the JVP and the TDNF one each. To obtain a working majority a party has to have 19 seats in the 37-member council.

Around noon yesterday bomber rammed his motorbike into two Police buses parked along Lotus Road, near the Presidential Secretariat at noon yesterday. Among the dead were two women police constables.

Of the two civilians killed one was identified as Ravindra Ratnakumara, chauffeur of Sports and Recreational Activities Minister Gamini Lokuge. He was at the wheel of the Minister’s BMW which was severely damaged. Several other vehicles, including some three wheelers, were also wrecked.

Director of the National Hospital Accident Service Dr. Anil Jasinghe said of the ten dead, eight were found dead on admission, while two succumbed to the injuries after admission. Of the 95 injured and admitted to the hospital, the condition of at least 10 was critical. Some have been operated on for head injuries and warded in the surgical intensive care unit, Dr. Jasinghe said.

According to the Police, there is a check point just next to the Buddhist temple on Lotus Road and the two police buses were parked right opposite it. The motor cyclist had ignored an order by police at the check point to stop and instead rammed his bike between the two Police buses.

The two buses carrying police riot squads were stationed there to halt any UNP demonstrators marching towards the Presidential Secretariat. The UNP had launched an agitation campaign yesterday opposite Zahira College, Maradana, in protest against the conduct of the Eastern Provincial election. The UNP alleged that the elections were rigged and organised the first of its protests in Maradana yesterday. Fearing they could march towards the Presidential Secretariat, which is housed in the old Parliament, Police riot squads were stationed on Lotus Road to prevent the UNP marchers proceeding any further.