NDF Completes their National List Seat Nominations

The NDF, contesting under the symbol of the Gas Cylinder, secured three parliamentary seats and two National List seats in the 2024 General Election. The party was formed through an alliance between the United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna.

One of the National List seats has already been filled by former Minister Ravi Karunanayake of the UNP. It was agreed that the two seats would be divided between the UNP and the Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna.

Additionally, a proposal has been made to nominate former Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, who contested General Election from the Matara District but was not elected, for the second National List seat under the Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna. 

Despite this, the General Secretary of the New Democratic Front (NDF), Mrs. Sharmila Perera, formally submitted Ravi Karunanayake’s name to the Election Commission on November 18 as a nominee for one of the party’s National List MP seats.

This decision faced strong opposition within the alliance. Reports indicate that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe had expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that Karunanayake’s nomination was made unilaterally, without his consent or the approval of other alliance members.

To address the controversy, a committee was subsequently established to investigate the matter.

However, The final decision had made to nominate Mustapha as National List MP collectively by all alliance parties according to the party sources.