Schism in the SLFP?:

Maithripala's stooges can't decide on party unity - MP Bandula Gunawardane

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

UPFA Colombo District Parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardane said even after the SLFP's defeat at the last Presidential Election, a large number of Parliamentarians, Provincial Council and Local Government members have rallied round the defeated leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. MP Gunawardane in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the SLFP is more vibrant party today. He emphasised that there is no division within the SLFP. There may be various rifts within a party but at the decisive moment, they will all stand together.

Q: What ails the one-time Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) monolith today?

A: The SLFP is more consolidated today. What we saw in the past was that whenever the SLFP suffered an electoral defeat, its supporters, MPs and local government members abandoned the party in large numbers.

I still remember how Sirimavo Bandaranaike after her defeat couldn't conduct a May Day rally or a party meeting. It was only when Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake, UNP stalwarts broke away from the party, the SLFP regained vibrancy.

Even after the SLFP's defeat at the last Presidential Election, a large number of Parliamentarians, Provincial Council members and local government members rallied round former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. So what I see today is a more vibrant SLFP.

Q: Do you think your pro-Mahinda faction could bring the SLFP back to the throne?

A: The SLFP alone cannot come to power. That is why the SLFP led- United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was formed with several other minor political parties such as MEP, LSSP, CP and NFF. When all progressive anti-UNP parties come under one umbrella, the people won't bother about the symbol of this political alliance.

Q: Technically SLFP is today split into Mahinda and Maithri factions. Could you unite them when their policies and ideas are far apart?

A: There is no division within the SLFP. There are three Buddhist sects in Sri Lanka such as Siamese, Amarapura and Ramanna. But all these are based on Buddhism.

There may be various rifts within a party, but at the decisive moment, they will all stand together. Both these SLFP factions can join hands. However, this will entirely depend on President Maithripala Sirisena's action who took over the SLFP leadership after his victory. Otherwise, the political stooges who are around him cannot decide on that.

If President Sirisena is our leader, he should defend SLFP Parliamentarians, Provincial Councilors and Pradeshiya Sabha members.

It is also his responsibility to defend 5.8 million people who voted for the SLFP at the last Presidential Election. But that does not mean that crooks should be defended.

President is vested with the entire responsibility of defending all who contributed for the victory of then SLFP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last Presidential Election.

That is why President Sirisena took over the SLFP leadership. If he cannot fulfill that task, then the problems would arise. Then we will also have to take certain decisions.

Q: Don't you think it is absurd to defend those who violated the law of the land under the cloak of revenge?

A: To create a Police state, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has set up a special Police unit based on his past experiences.

The Police has powers to set up special Police units. According to the special gazette notification issued on February 13, complaints are made to this special

Police unit by a Cabinet Sub Committee which functions at Prime Minister's office. During the tenure of late President R. Premadasa, there was a special Police unit called Lawrence Police unit. Those days even Ranil Wickremesinghe was scared of that unit.

This special Police unit has been formed based on past UNP experiences. Nobody knows who have been appointed to this unit, their qualifications and past records.

This is a witch-hunt against the Opposition politicians who raise their voice against the Government. As an example, Former Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando who had possessed even receipts on Rs.5.2 million paid to purchase goods from the CWE has been remanded. But this Cabinet Sub Committee does not take any action against the Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran who has committed the biggest financial fraud in the history of the Central Bank.

Q: Could you call attempts at bringing offenders to book, a witch-hunt?

A: Nobody describes it as a witch-hunt. It is entirely up to the court to decide whether that person is found guilty or not. At present, those who go to make a statement are also remanded.

This didn't happen even during Premadasa regime. During Premadasa-JVP terror period, as Parliamentarians, we faced atrocities of a fascist government.

These neophyte MPs may not be aware of that. Amidst the brutal killings and State terrorism, we continued our struggle by resorting to demonstrations and public agitations. The UNP attempts to grab power with the backing of the US and create a fascist government in Sri Lanka.

That government to be formed cannot be dissolved until four and half years. That is why we educate people on this imminent danger. The UNP has serious charges on Batalanda torture chamber, killing of journalist

Richard De Zoysa, brutal assaults of Parliamentarians in the chamber and other serious frauds and malpractices that took place under privatisation.

All these charges are swept under the carpet to cater to the interest of the LTTE diaspora.

The UNP front-liners who initiated to set up this special Police unit were always on the side of Prabhakaran. But a vast majority of people with China and Russia backed Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa in defeating terrorists.

Q: The SLFP would have blocked the 19th Amendment coupling it with the new electoral process, if not for President Maithripala Sirisena's direct intervention. Your comments?

A: The UNP set a 'trap against the President through the 19th Amendment. In the original draft of the 19th Amendment, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe included certain clauses to remove a President through an impeachment motion to be passed with a simple majority in Parliament.

The UNP's conspiracy behind the 19th Amendment was to obtain a simple majority at the General Election and remove the President from his post. Provisions had also been made to put journalists behind bars for three years.

UNP's aim was to include seven NGO members and three Parliamentarians in the Constitutional Council. Attempts had also been made to appoint their henchmen for the independent commissions and bulldoze democracy.

However, the main Opposition UPFA opposed the undemocratic provisions and introduced amendments to the 19th Amendment.

Q:Dinesh-Wimal-Vasu-Gammanpila bandwagon is looked down by many SLFPers as harmful to their party's future. Your comments?

A: I should not respond to this, because the so-called SLFPers will face the consequences of such utterances when they go for a Parliamentary election.

Q: With its overall majority, the UPFA could bring a No-Confidence motion against the UNP minority Government and defeat it at any time. What really prevents such action by you?

A: You will see the impact the Opposition will make on the Government after May 19.