Five proposals to bring enormous benefits:

Mammoth crowd expected at SLFP National Convention

by L. S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Thousands of SLFP provincial leaders and representatives will assemble at the Kettarama grounds in Colombo today for the SLFP National Convention to be presided over by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

SLFP General Secretary and Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena said the SLFP which respects public opinion - its leaders and representatives will be asked for their views on the holding of elections. He said that a decision on the general and Presidential elections would be taken at the SLFP Central Committee meeting to be held after the SLFP National Convention.

The minister said that five major proposals to provide enormous benefits to the people and the country would be presented to the National Convention by the senior members of the Government and the SLFP - Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, Plantation Industries Minister D. M. Jayaratne, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Development Minister A. H. M. Fowzie and National Integration Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralidaran.

The General Secretary said that in terms of the SLFP Constitution the Convention would deliberate under four major themes such as politics, economy, national unity and the future. President Rajapaksa will reveal a number of important decisions taken at the SLFP Central Executive Committee, he said. Today’s SLFP National Convention is a significant event which is being held for the first time after democracy was restored in the country.

Representatives of all constituent political parties and their overseas branches have also been invited to the Convention. Over 35 representatives of major political parties in other countries will also participate in the Convention. “We had received a number of congratulatory messages and best wishes from foreign and local political parties for the Convention, the minister said.