90% SLFPers against separate Front

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Denying speculation that a group of SLFP dissidents is to form a separate Front to contest the upcoming Local Government polls, Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare, S.B. Dissanayake said that ninety-nine percent of SLFPers don’t want to create any rift within the party. The SLFP will contest the next election under the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

A vast majority of the SLFPers want to contest together, even though a few minor political parties which have aligned with the UPFA are attempting to contest separately and secure a bargaining power for their survival, the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

The SLFP Executive Committee which will meet on Tuesday, January 26 under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena will discuss the future activities of the party, he said.

The Minister said no constituent partner of the UPFA has officially informed them that they would contest the Local Government polls separately. Former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa who had distanced himself from politics for sometime has made a comeback to the political scene apparently with a ‘contract’ to create a rift within the SLFP.

Dissanayake said that those who exploited the ‘Mahinda-Maithree’ differences and entrenched themselves in power today will have no alternative, but to go ahead with it. The UNP, JVP and the pro-LTTE Diaspora may also be happy to create divisions within the SLFP. The UNP would never attempt to divide the SLFP. Certain sections of the SLFP and the UNP are not in favour of a National Government. But this government was formed to fulfill a national need so it will have to go ahead.

President Maithripala Sirisena, former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga don’t want to create any divisions within the party. Certain groups within the UPFA have engaged in a futile attempt to create a rift within the party to gain narrow political mileage. Some of those who resorted to such attempts have been charged with bribery, corruption and rape and are attempting to have bargaining power for their survival.