Dayasiri to stay out of national politics

North Western Province Chief Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has announced that he would stay out of national politics permanently and would only focus on provincial politics in future. Mr. Jayasekera made this announcement when he met the local government representatives recently.

“I will serve the full term as chief minister and will stay on in provincial politics and I do not intend to contest the next parliamentary election,” Mr. Jayasekara told them.

The chief minister said the main obstacle he faced in running the provincial council was the lack of funds and it had been resolved now. In this context Mr. Jayasekara said would have discussions with the World Bank and theAsian Development Bank

Mr. Jayasekara t old t he l ocal government members that he had already given t hem Rs. 3000 i n addition to their monthly salary of Rs. 8000. “I have done this as I am fully aware of the hardships which you are going through as I myself started as a local government member,” he said. He said he would provide motor bikes for all of them before the year was out.

He said another obstacle he faced was the lack of funds to repair the roads in the province. He said he had received funds only to construct 400kms of road in the Kurunegala District and 200kms in the Puttalam District. However, he urged the local government members to give priority to constructing roads in the province.