Kandy rally:

'No breach of party discipline'

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

UPFA politicians who participated in the Kandy rally reiterated that they have not breached party discipline as they took part in a rally organised by four constituent parties of the UPFA to pressurise the party hierarchy to nominate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as their Prime Ministerial candidate and take the lead of the UPFA's election campaign at the upcoming General Elections.

Responding to speculation that the SLFP has decided to take disciplinary action against the UPFA members who participated in the rally, UPFA Kandy District Parliamentarian Dilum Amunugama told the Sunday Observer that they have been elected to Parliament from the UPFA and that the meeting was organised by UPFA constituent partners. Accordingly, they have not committed a breach of party discipline.

MP Amunugama said he had not yet received any letter or notification from the SLFP on disciplinary action against him. It is only the social media which had reported about it. Earlier too, we didn't get any request from the party hierarchy not to attend these meetings.

Banned

Susil Premajayantha No action initiated agaist those who participated in the rally

Udaya Gammanpila 'If the SLFP takes disciplinary action against UPFA politicians, it will face dire consequences.'

Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Wimal Weerawansa-rally organisers

A statement issued by SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadharshana Yapa on March 3 stated that the SLFP Central Committee had banned its MPs, Provincial Councillors and Local Government members from attending pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa rallies organised by other political parties in the UPFA without prior approval. The Central Committee also decided to prevent party representatives from acting on their own accord and holding media conferences.

"It is our bounden duty to elect a UPFA Prime Minister and a government at the upcoming general elections. We are members of the UPFA, so these meetings are organised to pressurize the UNP- led Government which doesn't have a majority in Parliament to give up power.

I think there is nothing wrong in this approach adopted by some of the UPFA constituent partners. If the SLFP attempts to take disciplinary action against us, it implies that we should not obstruct Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Government," the MP said.

Amunugama said among the leaders on the SLFP front, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the only capable leader who can lead the party towards victory at the election. Our prime objective should be to defeat the UNP at the election and bring the UPFA back to power.

Dilum Amunugama Only social media talking of disciplinary action

Samanmali Sakalasooriya 'We didn't get on to a UNP, JVP or DNF political stage'

"We also requested SLFP party leaders to organise similar rallies and public awareness campaigns to bringi its members and supporters under its banner to successfully face the challenges and win the next election. The party hierarchy has not given any positive response to our request so far."

Asked whether the SLFP has taken any disciplinary action against those who participated in the Kandy rally, SLFP National Organiser MP Susil Premajayantha said that the party has not initiated any action against them so far. Earlier, the SLFP clearly explaining the party position issued a media release on the decision taken at the SLFP Central Committee said that all SLFP members should not participate in meetings organised by other political parties of the UPFA. However, the SLFP has not called any explanation from those who attended the Kandy rally, he said.

UPFA Western Provincial Councillor Udaya Gammanpila told the Sunday Observer that nearly 35 percent of UPFA Provincial Council members and 51 percent of local Government heads attended this rally extending their solidarity to the former President. If the SLFP decides to take disciplinary action against UPFA politicians, it will have to face serious consequences.

Defeat

Gammanpila said a Minister warned of taking disciplinary action against us. However, he is a person who contributed largely to the defeat the SLFP at the election. If the SLFP takes disciplinary action against us, it should also take action against politicians who were responsible for the downfall of the party because the damage caused to the party by the top class people is far greater than any damage caused by those at the grassroot.

"The Kandy rally was organised by UPFA parliamentarians Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimal Weerawansa and myself. We are UPFA members. No SLFP member was there at that rally. Since 1991, the SLFP has not contested the elections alone.

SLFPers have also been elected to Parliament, Provincial Councils and other Local Government institutions on the UPFA ticket.

Coalition partners

If UPFA members have participated in a rally organised hy some of its coalition partners, how can it be described as a breach of party discipline," he queried. UPFA Western Provincial Council member Samanmali Sakalasooriya said that the idea of taking disciplinary action against UPFA members who attended the rally was not exposed to the media by the SLFP media spokesman but by someone else.

"We didn't get on to a UNP, JVP or DNF political stage. We participated in a rally organised by four constituent parties of the UPFA. It is absurd that some of our party members are saying that this was an attempt to create divisions within the party. We had not been informed verbally or in writing not to attend any meetings," she said. "Neither Party Leaders nor others can silence public opinion by way of threats. We appear on behalf of the people who voted for us.

More than 5.8 million people voted for the UPFA presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa. We all worked for the victory of the betel leaf not the swan. We respect public opinion and are will safeguard the party. Those who attempt to go for a national government with the UNP would commit the greatest betrayal during the history of the SLFP."