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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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