SLFP: The Exclusion

… and the aftermath

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The internal politics of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) took a new turn following President Maithripala Sirisena's decision as the Chairman of the party to sack five senior members from its Central Committee. The purported reason for such a drastic move was their refusal to adhere to the Committee decisions. By his letter dated April 11, the Party Chairman notified his decision to former Ministers Bandula Gunawardane, T.B. Ekanayake, Salinda Dissanayake, S.M. Chandrasena and Rohitha Abeygunawardena. All five Parliamentarians expelled from the party's key body were Rajapaksa loyalists who are front-runners in the campaign to bring back former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the political arena by attending public rallies organised by some United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition partners. The expulsion comes ahead of this week's parliamentarydebate on the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

On April 13, the SLFP announced its decision to appoint Western Provincial Councillor Hirunika Premachandra, Kotikawatta-Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, Prasanna Solangaarachchi, Central Provincial Councilor Ediriweera Weerawardena and Ministers Arjuna Ranatunga and Nandimithra Ekanayake to fill the vacancies in the Central Committee.

The five expelled members told the Sunday Observer there was no justifiable reason for the party leadership to sack them and alleged that the proper procedure had not also been followed when removing them from their positions. They described this as a move to hunt those Central Committee members who could not be tamed to bow down before the party leadership. The sacked ex-Committee members warned they would be seeking legal action over the unilateral decision to remove them ignoring all accepted norms of the party constitution. They said they would meet at the Parliamentary complex on Monday (April 20) to decide on their future action.

A SLFP Spokesman said the five Parliamentarians were removed from the SLFP Central Committee as they had violated the decision taken by the party hierarchy banning its members from attending political rallies organised by other political parties.

The Five MPs were also among the participants of the Ratnapura rally organised by some UPFA constituent parties urging Mahinda Rajapaksa to be named as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate. In addition, a section of the media quoting SLFP National Organiser MP Susil Premajayantha had reported that the expulsion of five MPs from the party's Central Committee is most likely to be revoked.

However, the SLFP General Secretary, MP Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told the Sunday Observer the suspension of five Parliamentarians still remains unchanged and the party's final decision on this will be communicated to the media shortly.

A western ploy to destroy the SLFP

Bandula Gunawardane-UPFA Colombo District Parliamentarian

This is a well-planned strategy by the Western forces to destroy the SLFP. They are relentlessly targeting all those who were directly involved in eradicating terrorism. The hunting of the SLFP Central Committee members is also a part of it. Else there is no valid reason to take disciplinary action against us. It is obvious that the Central Committee members who cannot be subdued to be the slaves of party leadership are deliberately targeted.

We all have contested elections under the UPFA banner and were elected by the people. Before the Presidential Election, then SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena exhorted all party members to ensure the victory of UPFA Presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa and to implement his ‘Mahinda Chinthana vision for the future’.

Therefore, we tried our best to bring Mahinda Rajapaksa back to power and nearly 5.8 million people voted for him. When Rajapaksa obtained the majority votes in Sinhala dominated areas, the Common Opposition Candidate Maithripala Sirisena won the majority votes from Northern and Eastern provinces to be elected Executive President. Later President Sirisena was also elected Chairman of the SLFP. A UNP led Government was also installed in office.

After the formation of new Government, Parliamentarians who supported Mahinda Rajapaksa have been targeted and corruption charges made against them. Some of those who supported Rajapaksa have been sacked from their jobs

while a large number of party supporters have faced harassment in their work places. We took the lead to defend them. After the National Unity Government was installed many political stooges have been appointed to top posts.

At present the Share market has collapsed while a massive Treasury Bond scam has taken place. Therefore, I raised my voice within and outside Parliament and led a demonstration to protest against the bond issue. At present, the public confidence in the financial system of the country is at stake. The total of US$ 8.2 billion foreign reserves has dropped to US$ 7 billion. The Government's revenue too has dropped while expenditure has shot up.

I also gave leadership to defeat the resolution moved by the Government in Parliament to raise Rs. 400 billion through the issuance of Treasury Bonds. That was a shocking defeat for the Government. The international monetary agencies such as ADB and World Bank have also raised concern on UNP's economic management due to collapse our financial market.

The country taken 50 years ahead by former President Rajapaksa has been pushed back to 25 years by the incumbent Government. During the tenure of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in 2001, the country's economy recorded 1.4 percent negative growth in 2001. We entertain doubts whether attempts are being made to drag the country towards the same direction on the instructions of former President Kumaratunga.

I informed President Sirisena of my decision to move a No Confidence Motion against Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. However, the President advised me not to resort to such a move. We however, decided to hand over that motion in the larger interest of the people and expose the massive destruction caused to the country by the UNP. As Parliamentarians, we have honestly performed our duties to safeguard our partymen.

According to the methodology followed by the SLFP, a Central Committee member is removed form his position only after a disciplinary inquiry. The former SLFP General Secretary quit the party and contested as Common Opposition Presidential Candidate by completely going against all the accepted norms and principles of the party to defeat the UPFA Presidential Candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa. But then President Rajapaksa only suspended his party membership. Before taking disciplinary action, he was elected as the President and became the Chairman of the SLFP. Actually it is President Sirisena who has breached the party discipline, not us.

Penalised for wanting MR back in power

Rohitha Abeygunawardena-UPFA Kalutara District Parliamentarian

We have not left the SLFP even for a single day because were not given portfolios and other privileges. We are born SLFPers. But we have been deliberately targeted. My SLFP membership spans over 31 years. We were not elected to the Central Committee through back-door. I made a lot of sacrifice on behalf of my party from 1977 to 1994. During this period, I had to face lot of harassment and threats from the then UNP Government and I also got imprisoned.

I tried my best to bring late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and former Presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa into power. It is because we wanted to install Mahinda Rajapaksa in power for the third time that we are now penalised. This is a decision of a dictatorial nature.

All five Parliamentarians expelled from the Central Committee are very senior SLFPers. Those who appointed to the Central Committee to fill our vacancies don't know even the proper meaning of the SLFP. A political party is not a personal property belongs to its Leader. It reflects the public mandate. Therefore, instead of resorting to legal actions, we would like to call upon the people who love the SLFP to take a decision regarding this issue. Whatever obstacles we face, we would never leave the party.

An unconstitutional move

T.B. Ekanayake- UPFA Kurunegala District Parliamentarian

A disciplinary action against a Central Committee member should be conducted in a legally accepted manner. However, the decision to suspend the membership of five Central Committee members is an unconstitutional move.

A disciplinary inquiry should be held to ascertain whether there was a breach of party discipline and they should be given an opportunity to respond to those charges. Later, the recommendations of the disciplinary inquiry panel should be sent to the party's Central Committee and then only a final decision can be made. This accepted procedure was not followed when removing us from the Central Committee so that this is illegal and unconstitutional move. It is questionable as to why we are treated in this manner as a senior SLFP Parliamentarians who also got imprisoned due to take the lead for various people's campaigns to safeguard the party. We have decided to take legal actions against this undemocratic move.

Seeking judicial assitance

S.M. Chandrasena- UPFA Anuradhapura District Parliamentarian

We have decided to seek the assistance of the judiciary on our removal from the Central Committee. SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadharshana Yapa and SLFP National Organiser Susil Premajayantha who met MP T.B. Ekanayake at the funeral of Most. Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter had assured him they would reconsider the decision to suspend our membership. However, this has just confined to mere words. When we met former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Carlton House on Thursday, we also discussed this matter with UPFA MP, Prof. G.L.Peiris and other legal experts. In order to meet the justice, we decided to seek legal advice next week. A political party has accepted procedure to expel their members from the party or its portfolios.

The letter sent to us has not mentioned any reason of our removal from the Central Committee. I joined the SLFP during my school days. I became the Opposition Leader of Ipalogama Pradeshiya Sabha in 1991 and elected as a member of North Central Provincial Council in 1993. Later, I became a Provincial Minister in 1999. I was elected to Parliament in 2001. I was appointed as a Deputy Minister in 2004 and a Non Cabinet Minister in 2007. I also became a Cabinet Minister in 2010. During my longstanding political career, I have made an immense sacrifice on behalf of my party. At the last General Election, I obtained 112, 666 preferential votes from Anuradhapura District, the highest ever votes obtained by a candidate during the history. As the District Leader, I gave the leadership to win all seven electorates in Anuradhapura district at the last General Election.

The decision is illegal

Salinda Dissanayake- UPFA Kurunegala District Parliamentarian

The decision to suspend five members from the SLFP Central Committee is illegal. This has been solely done by the President without respecting to the accepted party methodology. In order to sack a member from the SLFP Central Committee, first disciplinary action should be taken against him.

No explanation has been made as to why we were removed from the Central Committee. I am shocked at the decision as I have been engaging in politics representing the SLFP for over four decades.

The members of a political party may represent different ideologies. They should have a sole right to do so.

I have also my own ideology. That is President Sirisena has no moral right to hold the chairmanship of the SLFP because he contested as the Presidential Candidate of the Common Opposition under the swan symbol.

After he was elected to Presidency, he took over the SLFP chairmanship with the sole intention of preventing former President Rajapaksa's reentry into politics.

We are oppose to this move. Merely because we maintain this view, we cannot be sacked from the SLFP Central Committee. It is regret to note those who accused former government of not respecting to party seniors resort to this kind of arbitrary decisions. This has clearly proved as to how the incumbent President treats to his party seniors.