That is due to the fact that the General Secretary of the party, currently registered under the political party register is still the late D.M. Jayaratne, the former Prime Minister.
When we contacted the Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake, he confirmed this situation.
The former leader of the UPFA was former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge.
Without the approval of the party’s General Secretary, the party cannot be given over to any other party and in order to do that the party Central Committee must gather and grant approval for it.
When contacted, the UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera said while the party had talked about contesting under the chair logo prior to the presidential election, thereafter it had not been discussed.
Accordingly, he said that at the upcoming general election they intend to contest under a coalition ‘Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandanaya’.
He also noted that the required amendments in order to change the office bearers of the Podujana Eksath Peramuna would be submitted to the Election Commission.
The Podu Jana Eksath Peramuna had contested for the last time in 1994.
The Podujana Eksath Peramuna was initially established under the leadership of the SLFP in order to defeat the UNP.
