The Government will hold provincial council elections to the Uva, Central, North-Western, Western and Southern Provinces before March 8 2009, Healthcare Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new Bus Stand in Bibile recently, he said four senior UNPers had expressed willingness to join the government before elections and the government would welcome them and JVP defectors at a ceremony.

Around Rs.60 million was spent to construct the Bibile Bus Stand and it would be a boon to the people in the area. The government was certain that by 2009 there would not be any other political party in Sri Lanka, except the UPFA, because the UNP and the JVP would disappear from the political arena due to intractable internal crises, he said.

He said that the Sabaragamuwa and North-Central Provincial Council Elections had shown that the UPFA government was capable of standing on its own feet though political opponents had been conspiring to topple the government. The government knew from a reliable source that some senior JVP activists would join the National Freedom Front as they were disappointed with the JVP’s internal disputes.

Minister de Silva said the government was considering dissolving the Uva, Central, North-Western, Western and Southern Provincial Councils. No provincial elections would be held this year, but they will definitely be held in 2009. The government was confident of winning them with thumping majorities, he said.

Politics in Sri Lanka had gained a new lease of life as the people were becoming aware of ulterior motives of the UNP and the JVP. The JVP had lost the trust and confidence of people due to draconian punishment meted out to their own politicians. The UNP leader would have no alternative but to step down from the party leadership. The clamour for UNP leadership change was a sensible move as it would pave the way for senior UNPers to choose a charismatic leader who could organise the party with sound foundation, the Minister said.