|
SLFP rebels...:
How many will break away?
by Uditha Kumarasinghe
The internal crisis in the SLFP has taken a new turn due to the
recent decision by the party hierarchy to sack some of its stalwarts
from organizer posts and appoint political neophytes in their place. The
SLFP MPs in the Joint Opposition (JO) allege, nationally known figures
have been replaced with, either defeated candidates or politicians who
have got fewer preferential votes at Provincial Council or Pradeshiya
Sabha levels, to weaken the SLFP and give the UNP the upper hand at
elections.
 |
| Mahinda
Rajapaksa |
 |
| |
 |
| Pavithra
Wanniarachchi |
 |
| Mahinda Yapa
Abeywardena |
However, SLFP seniors in the Government said, the decision to remove
some SLFP organisers was taken as they have failed to fulfil party
responsibilities entrusted to them, and not to take revenge for being
part of the JO.
Reprisals
The SLFP party hierarchy recently removed several SLFP electoral
organizers, including, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Pavithra Wanniarachchi,
Rohitha Abeygunawardena, C.B. Ratnayake, Gamini Lokuge and Keheliya
Rambukwella. Prior to this, MPs Dilum Amunugama, Salinda Dissanayake,
S.M. Chandrasena, Geetha Kumarasinghe and Prasanna Ranatunga were
removed from organizer posts. SLFP MP Sanath Nishantha was suspended
from the party. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa slammed the decision
to remove several electoral organizers and warned that the move will
split the party.
He described the move as “the latest round of reprisals against SLFP
members associated with the Joint Opposition,” and added, many popular
SLFP organizers are being removed and replaced with less popular
politicians to weaken the SLFP and give advantage to the UNP.
Amid the crisis, the participation of JO SLFP MPs in the SLFP party
convention scheduled to be held in Kurunegala on September 4 is still
undecided. JO frontliners confirmed they would consult electoral
committees (Asana Bala Mandala) before taking a final decision.
However, some SLFP seniors in President Maithripala Sirisena’s camp,
such as, Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Wijelal de Silva has
said, the removal of SLFP organisers who openly challenged the party and
its leadership, without toeing party line even belatedly, is a very
important decision taken by the SLFP leadership.
The Chief Minister who endorsed the decision said, the party could
not forge ahead with members who are critical and challenge the party
and its leadership.
Some SLFP MPs in the JO who were sacked from party organiser posts
said, there is no justification in the move to remove them and appoint
new organisers. They pointed out, Parliamentarian Sanath Nishantha whose
party membership has been suspended obtained the highest number of
preferential votes in the Puttalam district.
Many organisers who have been removed are among the top two or three
in their respective districts, he said. For example, Prasanna Ranatunga
got the highest preferential votes in the Gampaha district; S.M.
Chandrasena came first in the Anuradhapura district; Dilum Amunugama
third in the Kandy district; Rohitha Abeygunawardena second in the
Kalutara district; C.B. Ratnayake second in the Nuwara Eliya district
and Pavithra Wanniarachchi third in the Ratnapura district.
Several Parliamentarians currently aligned with the JO have decided
to resign from their organiser posts in protest. Dullas Alahapperuma
announced his decision to quit the Matara District Leader post.
UPFA Ratnapura District MP Janaka Wakkumbura has resigned from the
organiser post in Kalawana, while UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardena announced
his decision to resign from the post of organiser in Homagama.
UPFA Kandy District Parliamentarian Keheliya Rambukwella told the
Sunday Observer, if party organisers are not performing well, it is
alright to appoint new members.
However, a study of the background shows that a person who obtained
150,000 votes at a General Election has been replaced with a person who
obtained a mere 1,000 votes in a Pradeshiya Sabha election, he said. “It
doesn’t make sense. Eventually, the party would suffer. I have a doubt
whether there is some unseen force deliberately trying to ruin the SLFP.
When the party removes senior organisers, they would be constrained to
take their own decisions which may not be palatable. There should not be
a division in the party policies,” he said.
After the SLFP joined hands with the UNP, it is doubtful how the
party with a different set of policies formulated by the late S.W.R.D.
Bandaranaike , D.A. Rajapaksa and others can move forward as a strong
political entity, he said.
Powerful SLFP leaders
“It was President Maithripala Sirisena who decamped the SLFP and
contested as the Common Candidate, defeating the SLFP and its candidate.
We need to discuss with the Bala Mandalas, the grassroots level arm of
the party and decide whether we should participate or not in the
forthcoming party convention,” Rambukwella said.
According to UPFA Ratnapura District MP Pavithra Wanniarachchi,
powerful SLFP leaders have been removed and replaced with junior members
to fulfil the needs of UNP headquarters. She said, although the party
hierarchy had removed them from organiser posts, they cannot be removed
from the hearts of the people.
At present the SLFP has reinforced the UNP and to further strengthen
the UNP’s vote base, senior SLFP party organisers have been removed and
political neophytes appointed instead.
I have continuously represented Parliament for over 20 years,
obtaining the highest number of preferential votes. The person appointed
to replace me is a UNPer who came last in the UNP list at the 2015
General Elections, she said.
UPFA Matara District MP Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told the Sunday
Observer, the present crisis in the SLFP is mainly due to the fact that
those who hold positions are trying to have personal agendas.
“The party must have only the party agenda. The decision to remove
SLFP organizers in the JO including me, is based on personal agendas,
there is no justification for it. It was not a decision taken by the
SLFP Central Committee”.
UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said, it is not a secret that
there are two factions in the SLFP. However, the removal of some SLFP
organisers was solely due to their failure to fulfil party obligations.
Obligations
It was not based on any personal grounds. They have not set up any
SLFP branch organizations, women and youth organizations and not even
summoned SLFP Central organizations. Some had not brought party
supporters to the SLFP May Day. If organizers fail to fulfil
obligations, there is no use having them as party organizers.
As long as a party organizer fulfils his responsibilities, it is
immaterial whether he is in the Government or the Joint Opposition. If
they criticize the party and its leadership, the party hierarchy has to
take disciplinary action against them. The SLFP has invited former
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and all SLFP MPs in the JO to attend the
party convention.
Joint Opposition Leader Dinesh Gunawardena said the SLFP is the major
constituent partner of the UPFA rainbow coalition.
People’s support
The SLFP has been in crisis since the last Presidential Election.
That is the real crisis, it has not been settled as yet. “We should not
underestimate people. They decide who to support, it was they who
rallied round the forces for or against the January 8 situation.
The staunch SLFP betel leaf supporters were with Mahinda Rajapaksa at
that time. The basic political set up is the UNP and anti-UNP
progressive front. The anti-UNP progressive front with the people’s
support will realign regardless of any obstacles”, he said.
Asked if there is a perception among senior SLFPers in the JO that
the present crisis in the party is a deal to promote the UNP, Education
Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said, it is some of the members in the
JO who want to have deals with the UNP. Both, the UNP and the SLFP have
formed the National Government considering the future of the country.
They have no other deals whatsoever, as claimed by the JO. “The only
deal we have made is to rebuild the country.
It is not a secret deal and was done with the consent of Parliament
by appointing a Cabinet of Ministers representing the two major parties.
We would separately engage in our politics and both parties would
separately contest future elections. The JO makes such baseless
allegations to secure their vote base which would go to the SLFP.
The JO is trying their best to topple the Government, but they are
only dreams which would never come true.
The JO further collapsed after the Pada Yatra from Kandy to Colombo.
There is no unity among the JO, which has been divided into several
factions,” the Minister said
The SLFP central committee last week appointed 40 new District and
Electoral Organizers while 13 loyalists of former President Mahinda
Rajapaksa were removed from organizer posts. |
