Dire warning:

Attending JO May Day rally at Kirulapone taboo

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

The SLFP yesterday warned disciplinary action against SLFP parliamentarians, Provincial Councillors and party organisers who skip the SLFP official May Day rally in Galle and attend the Kirulapone Joint Opposition (JO) May Day rally.

Alhough the party has not yet decided on disciplinary action against the SLFP dissidents hoping to attend the Joint Opposition May Day rally at Kirulapone, the SLFP Central Committee may resort to disciplinary action against them if they breach party rules and regulations, UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

However, the SLFP MPs in the Joint Opposition have not officially informed the party that they would attend the Kirulapone Joint Opposition May Day rally.This was not taken up at any party discussion, the Minister said.

UPFA Matara District MP Dullas Alahapperuma said there are two factions in the SLFP at present - one in the Government, the other in the Opposition. “The SLFP Central Committee has given permission for SLFP MPs who wish to be in the opposition. Therefore, the SLFP MPs in the Opposition are performing their role of the Opposition. Our Party Leader, President Maithripala Sirisena and the SLFP Central Committee are also fully aware of this”, he said.

MP Alahapperuma, therefore, queried as to how the party hierarchy would take disciplinary action against the SLFP MPs in the Joint Opposition who attend the Kirulapone May Day rally when the party Central Committee has permitted them to be in the opposition.

SLFP General Secretary and Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake told a media briefing at SLFP headquarters in Colombo on Friday (April 22) that the SLFP Central Committee (CC) would decide on what disciplinary action should be taken against those who violate party rules and regulations. The CC has directed all party members including Organisers, MPs, Provincial Councillors and other portfolio holders to attend the SLFP May Day rally in Galle, he said.