No caretaker Government
President vetoes UPFA demand:
by Rasika Jayakody
President Maithripala Sirisena has ruled out a demand made by some
senior politicians of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) to
form a UPFA-led ‘caretaker’ Government prior to the Parliamentary
general election, the Sunday Observer learns.
This group of UPFA seniors is understood to have pressed the
President to expel the United National Party (UNP) from the current
Government before the general elections. They demanded that the UPFA be
allowed to form a UPFA-led caretaker Government before the Parliamentary
election. The President, in response, has shot down the idea stating he
did not want to resort to such a move, sources close to the President
told the Sunday Observer.
No ‘Swan front’
Meanwhile, the UNP ruled out the possibility of reviving the ‘Swan
front’ ahead of the Parliamentary election, political sources told the
Sunday Observer.
Several civil society organizations and a group within the UPFA had
requested President Sirisena and the UNP to revive the coalition around
the Swan symbol that won the presidential election, to form a political
front for the forthcoming general election.
The ‘Swan’ was the symbol of the common opposition of which Sirisena
was the candidate.
The SLFP group supporting President Sirisena had agreed to proceed
with the proposal and discuss with the UNP. The proposal however has not
elicited a positive response from the UNP.
Speaking to the Sunday Observer, Minister of Plantation Industries
and Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella said the UNP had already
decided to contest under its official symbol of the 'Elephant'.
"We cannot contest under the swan front as it will be unfair by our
candidates. If we form a common alliance with the SLFP aiming the
Parliamentary election, a large number of UNP stalwarts will not get a
chance to contest the election.
That cannot be accepted especially when there is a UNP led
government,” Kiriella said.
"But, several political parties will join hands with the UNP for the
election. They will contest only under the traditional symbol of the UNP,"
he added.
"However, we have already agreed to form a national government after
the election and that agreement remains the same," Kiriella said. He
added that the UNP expected the dissolution of Parliament before the end
of June.
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