* Newly elected Chief Ministers to take oath today
Friday, February 27, 2009, 8:23 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Feb 27, Colombo: Newly elected Chief Ministers of the Central and North Western Provinces will take their oaths of office before Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today, sources at the Presidential Secretariat said.

The incumbent Chief Minister of Central Province Sarath Ekanayake will be sworn in for another four year term. Former North Western Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe will also take oaths again as the new Chief Minister.

Other ministers of the two PCs will also take oaths before the President at Temple Trees.

Sarath Ekanayake topped the UPFA preference list with 99,932 while his rival and former Minister S.B. Dissanayake topped the UNP nominees with 181,783 votes. However since ruling United People's Freedom Alliance won the Central PC, Ekanayake was elected as the Chief Minister.

Athula Wijesinghe secured top of the list with 90, 295 votes at the North Western Provincial Council election to become the Chief Minister.