Signs of a dispute between the UNP and the SLFP could be seen once again in the Uva Province, as the differences between Minister Ranjith Maddumabandara and Chief Minister Chamara Sampath Dassanayake came to the forefront recently.

Addressing a recent meeting, Ranjith Maddumabandara expressed his dissatisfaction at a UPFA Provincial Councilor being appointed Chief Minister. He said that the UNP should have been given the Chief Minister position since Harin Fernando was the outgoing CM.

It is undemocratic to appoint a UPFA member as CM when the UNP has just won a general election, he added.

However, in another meeting, Dassanayake slammed Maddumabandara and said that the Provincial Council government cannot be toppled by the whims of the Minister. He was appointed according to a democratic process and he enjoys the support of the majority of the council, Dassanayake also said.

He vowed that he will remain CM for the duration of the current Uva Provincial Council.