EFFORTS TO RETAIN SLFP UNITY

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

The President invited all SLFPers to join forces to achieve that goal. The President said the SLFP would contest the next LG polls using the hand symbol.

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera

He called upon all those who talk of forming new parties to join forces with the SLFP and unite with them to ensure the party’s victory.

The President said, when he decided to quit the former UPFA Government and contest the last Presidential Election as the Common Candidate, there were 49 other parties and organisations in the coalition that backed him and added that none of them asked him to resign from the SLFP.

UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says, discussions are underway to bring all SLFPers under one umbrella ironing out whatever differences. President Maithripala Sirisena himself has reiterated time and again the dire need for the SLFP to consolidate itself and form a Government in 2020. Meanwhile, the Joint Opposition (JO) repeats, it cannot join hands with the UNP as their policies are poles apart. They underscore the need to maintain the SLFP’s true identity leaving no room for it to be eclipsed by the UNP. They are critical of forging a National Unity Government with the UNP despite the SLFP led UPFA coalition having 95 seats in Parliament. There are no visible signs of at least a political compromise by the SLFP MPs in the Government and their counterparts in the JO in the interest of the SLFP’s survival. The internal crisis in the SLFP took a new turn as 38 SLFP MPs in the JO decided to boycott the SLFP Convention held in Kurunegala recently. They said, they took the final decision after consulting the Bala Mandalas in their respective electorates, and that the Bala Mandalas were unanimous in requesting their MPs not to attend the party convention. However, SLFP General Secretary and Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake said, the decision by the SLFP MPs in the JO to boycott the Convention was a deliberate attempt at rendering the SLFPers helpless and creating internal conflicts in the party. This is not a decision to strengthen the party, but rather a calculated attempt to weaken its fabric, he said.

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Observer after President Maithripala Sirisena’s call at the Convention for SLFP dissidents in the JO to join the SLFP to ensure the party’s victory, discussions are being held between the two factions at unofficial level. It is premature to comment whether the ongoing discussions are favourable or not. However, the Minister denied speculations of a widening gap between the two SLFP factions and added that the SLFP MPs in the JO have no intention of creating another party. The President has already invited the SLFP MPs in the JO to rally round the party. Therefore, they should accept this invitation and commit themselves to strengthen the party.

The SLFP MPs in the JO have not informed the party hierarchy of their decision to contest the upcoming Local Government (LG) polls under a separate front or symbol. Minister Amaraweera castigated certain elements within the SLFP for trying to erode the party with narrow political gain. These attempts he said, will certainly help the UNP to further consolidate its vote base. He added, the minor political parties though grouped under the SLFP led UPFA umbrella, only try to strengthen their stature at the cost of the SLFP vote. Some minority parties in the JO are well aware they are not in a position to win an election if they contest separately.

Minister Duminda Dissanayake

Minister and SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake said, the SLFP party hierarchy expects former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to cooperate with the party rather than seek office at future elections. The Minister said, the party will be reorganised after the Convention. At present we are in the process of reorganising and restructuring the party to propel it to new heights in line with its politics.

We hope he will support the formation of an SLFP government. According to the Minister, former President Rajapaksa cannot contest the next Presidential Election due to constitutional barriers and he does not have a chance of becoming the next Prime Minister within the remaining period. He has held all positions starting from an MP up to Presidency. He was the party President as well. He should realize he has passed his time now so that we believe he will cooperate with the party to consolidate power and use his popularity to ensure victory for the party.

Minister Thalatha Atukorale

Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Atukorale addressing a recent public function said, no one would be allowed to divide or destroy the SLFP notwithstanding the thinking of detractors. However, Minister Atukorale condemned the comments by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa about President Maithripala Sirisena attending the UNP anniversary celebrations and added, it was most disheartening and regrettable. She said the former President’s remarks are a clear testimony to his intention to come back to power at any cost.

President Maithripala Sirisena, speaking at the 65th anniversary celebrations of the SLFP said, he had launched a campaign to form an SLFP-led Government. He invited all SLFPers to join forces to achieve that goal. The President said the SLFP would contest the next LG polls using the hand symbol.

The President called upon all those who talk of forming new parties to join forces with the SLFP and unite with them to ensure the party’s victory. The President said, when he decided to quit the former UPFA Government and contest the last Presidential Election as the Common Candidate, there were 49 other parties and organisations in the coalition that backed him and added that none of them asked him to resign from the SLFP.

“They respected my right to be a member of the SLFP. When I was invited to accept the party leadership after my victory, I happily complied with the hope of rebuilding this great party and steering it to victory. My intention is to form an SLFP Government soon by strengthening the party,” the President said.

However, a cabal of former SLFP Local Body Chairmen have already threatened they would contest the LG elections on a new pro-SLFP platform, presumably under the leadership of the Rajapaksas.

The SLFP stalwarts in the JO dismissed any SLFP connection or its blessings for any new political organizations, saying the need of the hour is to build a broad national organization to win the LG Elections. The SLFP veterans in the JO asserted, as true SLFPers they would not encourage any split in the party to help the UNP to capatilise on the prevailing situation.

Parliamentarian Keheliya Rambukwella

UPFA Kandy District Parliamentarian Keheliya Rambukwella told the Sunday Observer, the President has called upon the SLFP MPs in the JO to join the SLFP, but it would have been much more appropriate if he made that statement at the UNP’s 70th Convention. There is only one principle in the SLFP – that is, it cannot join hands with the UNP. President Maithripala Sirisena who addressed the 70th anniversary of the UNP, pointing at the UNP supporters made it very clear that of the 6.25 million people who voted for him, the vast majority was from the UNP. It was obvious that his obligation was towards them. Hence I don’t know where he really stands and where his loyalties are.

Anyway, what we want is to build the SLFP and the left wing together. The majority of the SLFP group has endorsed this stance. They must build the SLFP, which is under the UNP right now. The SLFP led UPFA has 95 members to stand together. Their complaint is, there are six or seven people who will decamp from the 95. It is all right and it is happening all over the world. But then we will be a vibrant Opposition. The President has been talking that he could get 20 to 25 MPs from the JO at any time. It is yet to be seen.

MP Rambukwella said, the SLFP has only one policy which the late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike established, decamping from the UNP. The UNP’s ideology does not blend with the SLFP and the left centered policies. Nearly 95 percent of the SLFPers admit this. The JO has not taken any final decision to separately contest the upcoming LG polls.

But the people in the country at the end of the day want to see that there is serious potential for a third force, because this is a one sided Government.

The Opposition Leader and the Chief Opposition Whip are only one group. It is not healthy for a democratic system. The prevailing situation in the SLFP is that it is in total disarray. They are holding together because they have got some positions and perks. Those holding positions are greedy and don’t want to make any sacrifice on behalf of the party.

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader Udaya Gammanpila

Meanwhile, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader Udaya Gammanpila told a recent media conference that the decision of the SLFP to contest the LG polls alone might backfire. He said it was not the practice of the SLFP to form a Government of its own. Except in 1991, the SLFP lost whenever it contested an election, and always went ahead with the backing of other political parties.

During the 65th Anniversary of the SLFP, President Maithripala Sirisena said, they would separately contest the upcoming LG polls under the hand symbol. The PHU and several other parties, including the National Freedom Front (NFF) and the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) contested previous Parliamentary elections under the UPFA ticket, where the main constituent is the SLFP. Commenting on the latest development, MP Gammanpila said, the SLFP party hierarchy attempts to destroy the party. '

He described the SLFP’s decision to contest alone was the final nail on the coffin of the party. When asked about the impact the new decision would make on the PHU, Gammanpila said, they would not accept invitations extended by the President to join and added that they joined the UPFA to form a Government but one faction formed a coalition with the UNP instead. He said they are not ready to commit the same mistake twice.