Fonseka’s new party gearing up for provincial polls

Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka is seeking to register a new political party to be headed by him so that its nominees can contest the Provincial Council elections scheduled for later this year.

The former General said papers had been submitted to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya for the registration of the Democratic Party (DP), whose symbol would be the flaming torch symbol ( gini siluva).

He said this move came following a Human Rights Commission ruling which called on the Elections Commissioner to register the party in keeping with the procedure.

Mr. Fonseka said he petitioned the HRC after there was an unusually long delay in recognising his party when he first filed papers in 2010.

“The ball is now in the Elections Commissioner’s court,” said the former Army Commander who unsuccessfully contested the 2010 presidential elections on the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) after he gave military leadership to the troops to defeat the separatist LTTE in 2009.

He said he would not be able to contest any election for seven years due to the stripping of his civic rights but he would give leadership to the political campaign of his party.

DNA Parliamentarian Jayantha Ketagoda who was appointed to Parliament after Mr. Fonseka was unseated in October 2010, will be the general secretary of the new party.