The decision was taken at a meeting of the party at the home of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa at Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo.

Report say a previous decision to appoint the candidates who polled the highest votes to these positions, has been changed.

The leaders appointed for each LG body for the election will now be given the chairmanships, while the deputy chairman positions will be given in consideration of candidates’ political maturity.

The positions that cannot be filled even then will be decided by party leaders of the SLPP.

However, party leaders are already against it, noting that young candidates who polled considerable votes would be sidelined, and some said the positions would not be allowed to be filled according to the wishes of the Rajapaksas.