To ensure smooth-functioning of Parliament:

Anura demands expulsion of SLFP dissidents

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called for the expulsion of dissident parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) by its new leader if their behaviour amounted to a breach of party discipline, without creating problems to the newly convened Parliament’s smooth functioning. Dissanayake, who is also the Leader of the Janatha Vmuktki Peramuna (JVP), insisted that those who fail to abide by the SLFP’s decision to align itself with the UNP to form a consensus government should quit the SLFP and the UPFA both and act independently.

“At present, nobody knows the exact number of UPFA parliamentarians in the Opposition,” he charged.

“If members do not follow party decisions and behave independently, the better course of action is to discipline them, failing which, expelling them. There is a SLFP faction in the SLFP led- UPFA opposition that behaves in that manner,” Dissanayake said.

He said it was improper to function as an independent group when the two main parties in Parliament – the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)– have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for two years to work together.

“If the current SLFP leadership does not crack the whip fast and discipline them, they may create a SLFP breakaway group for their survival, which in turn will affect the smooth functioning of Parliament,” Dissanayake warned.

Dissanayake said, he has not been challenged by the UPFA/SLFP dissidents in the performance of his duties as Chief Opposition Whip but warned, there was no guarantee about the future. “If that happens, it is the responsibility of the UPFA/SLFP to control errant elements. If the UPFA/SLFP leader lacks control over his Parliamentary group, it should be handled as an internal matter without any spillover effect on Parliament,” he added.