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Newly re-elected Southern Provincial Councillor Buddhika Pathirana would be named the next Opposition Leader of the 55-member council, party sources said yesterday.
He had received the highest percentage (61.09%) of preferential votes polled for any single party as a candidate in Saturday’s SPC election securing 57,802 votes of the 94,614 received by UNP for Matara District.
Asked for comment, Councillor Pathirana said that he never ran after position or posts but they came after him. He believes he would be appointed for the post as had performed well despite heavy opposition and suppression unleashed by the ruling party candidates.
"People had placed me on the top in the district. This result came for nothing. People know that I have worked for the district and expressed their gratefulness and elected me to serve them for another term."
"I have obtained almost double percentage of preferential votes received by leading candidates of any district in the Province, I did my duty for the party and hope that party will do likewise," he said.
Pathirana was the UNP’s chief ministerial candidate hopeful and the leader of the district which had returned five of 18 candidates receiving a 25.91 percentage of 94,614 total votes cast. Those who came first in their party lists in the province were Shan Wijelal De Silva [UPFA Galle District, 92,294 votes (26.07%)], Krishantha Pushpakumara [ UNP Galle District, 52,371, (37.36%)], Hemal Gunaesekara [UPFA, Matara District, 63,323 (24.63%)], V.K.Indika [UPFA Hambantota District, 56,855 (29.46%)], and Thennakoon Senaratne [UNP Hambantota District, 23894, (37.29%)].
