JO likely to boycott convention
Final decision tomorrow:
By Uditha Kumarasinghe
The SLFP Parliamentary group in the Joint Opposition (JO) is
scheduled to meet tomorrow (August 22) to take a final decision as to
whether they would participate or not in the SLFP party convention, UPFA
Gampaha District MP Prasanna Ranatunga told the Sunday Observer
yesterday. The convention is scheduled to be held in Kurunegala on
September 4 under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena.
However, majority of the SLFP MPs in the JO maintain that they would
not attend the convention. But this would be presented as a proposal
when the SLFP parliamentary group in the JO meets tomorrow and will be
officially decided, MP Ranatunga said.
UPFA Ratnapura District MP Ranjith de Zoysa told the Sunday Observer
earlier, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the SLFP MPs in the JO
had decided to participate in the party convention. However, the
decision by the SLFP leadership two weeks ahead of the party convention
to oust 13 SLFP MPs in the JO from their organiser posts implied that
the party hierarchy did not expect the participation of SLFP MPs in the
JO in the party convention, he said.
However, the JO front-liner confirmed that he would not attend the
party convention.
MP Zoysa said that the SLFP MPs in the JO cannot resort to legal
action regarding the removal of their organiser posts as it was a
decision solely taken by the party leadership. One is free to hold any
position or post in the party so long as one can be assured of the
confidence of the party leadership.
“But the removal of these SLFP organisers is not based on any logical
grounds at all. Many of the electoral organisers who have been removed
have scored the highest number of votes in their respective districts.
Some of the Pradeshiya Sabha chairmen and defeated Pradeshiya Sabha
members have been appointed as new SLFP electoral organisers. For an
example, the new organiser appointed to Eheliyagoda electorate to
replace MP Pavithra Wanniarachchi is a UNPer who contested the 2015
General Election in the Ratnapura District.” he said.
MP Zoysa further said that the party leadership has deprived the
opportunity for the SLFP to stand as a single party maintaining its own
identity. The current party leadership deliberately prevented the
opportunity for the UPFA to secure victory at the 2015 General Election
while the SLFP organiser posts are offered to the UNPers. Today the SLFP
is only a captive in the hands of the UNP.
As the SLFP MPs in the JO, we cannot agree to any attempts by the
party hierarchy to endorse the destruction of the SLFP. The SLFP cannot
be safeguarded by joining hands with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The JO would organise a wide range of public agitations against the
attempts to destroy the SLFP.
President Maithripala Sirisena on August 17 appointed 40 new
Electoral and District Organisers, ousting 13 SLFP rebels from their
posts of electoral organisers in 10 districts including party stalwarts
Pavithra Wanniarachchi, C.B.Ratnayake, Gamini Lokuge, Keheliya
Rambukwella, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Rohitha Abeygunawardana, Jagath
Balasooriya and Sarath Kumara Gunaratne. They were removed following
action to appoint 24 district and 16 electoral organisers for Colombo,
Gampaha, Kalutara, Matara, Hambantota, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura,
Kegalle, Badulla and Vavuniya districts. |
