 Premadasa expelled Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake from the UNP.Athulathmudali together with Dissanayake formed a new party, the Democratic United National Front with both serving as joint president in November 1991.Under the DUNF, Athulathmudali handed over his papers to contest the 1993 Provincial elections seeking the chief ministership of the Western Province Council.