Mangala: Not attractive to the common man - S. B. Dissanayake

By Anura Maitipe

The dissident SLFP Parliamentarian, Mangala Samaraweera did not have a political image which was attractive to the ordinary people of this country and his crossover to the Opposition will not create a big impact on the political front of the country, Former SLFP General Secretary and the UNP frontliner politician S. B. Dissanayake told the Sunday Observer.

Samaraweera was a mere pet of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who promoted him. The sole aim of forming the democratic wing of the SLFP was to grab power with the help of Chandrika Bandaranaike.

When he was in power he did not respect democracy and media freedom of the country Samaraweera should be ashamed of talking of democracy and media freedom now, he said.

The JVP has ruled out an alliance with the UNP and Mangala-Sripathy faction of the SLFP. JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe told a press conference at the National Library Auditorium, that they will not even talk to the UNP regarding a proposed alliance; it will be a broad coalition against the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government.

There is nothing to gain from the UNP for the benefit of the country. Forming a coalition with the Mangala-Sripathy faction will be an un-retractable political mistake in their political career, he said.