SLFP nominations for Mahinda: TALKS INCONCLUSIVE
Talks between President Maithripala Sirisena and SLFP stalwarts over accommodating former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the SLFP nomination list at the next election ended without a conclusion last night.
During the meeting however, UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha and SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa had insisted that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be nominated as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the UPFA. Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva showed that he was willing to “sway with the winds”, informed party sources told the Daily News last night.
The committee appointed by the President to promote cooperation in the SLFP has also recommended that the former President should be actively involved in the political campaign of the UPFA at the next election. “That means,” a committee member said, “we request President Sirisena to grant nomination to the former President to contest the forthcoming election under the SLFP ticket.”
Before presenting their conclusions, the committee members held several rounds of discussions with the former President and with the incumbent President.
The majority of SLFP Parliamentarians are supportive of accommodating former President Rajapaksa under the party list at the next election. But, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, a Patron of the SLFP, has strongly opposed the move.
Party sources told the Daily News that further talks on the same matter would take place today between the President and the SLFP seniors.
President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday that former President might not be accommodated in the SLFP nomination list at the forthcoming Parliamentary election.
President Sirisena gave this assurance to several leftist activists and trade union leaders at a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat last afternoon.
The meeting was attended by some leftist activists and union leaders including Lal Wijenaike, Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, Chameera Perera, Poojitha de Mel and M.B. Abeyrathne. “The President informed us that he might not give nomination to the former President to contest under the SLFP ticket. But, there were indications that the SLFP MPs supporting him would get nominations to contest from the party,” Wijenaike told the Daily News.
Meanwhile, highly placed SLFP sources told the Daily News yesterday that there was a move to give a ‘quota’ to SLFP MPs supporting the former President in every district when giving nominations. However, no final decision has so far been made in this regard.
Several ‘interim arrangements’ have also been discussed between the two parties yesterday.
Among them is appointing former President Rajapaksa as the Chairman of the UPFA instead of giving him nomination to contest the election.
Possibility of allowing Namal Rajapaksa to contest under the
party without giving nomination to former President Rajapaksa was also discussed at SLFP internal meetings yesterday.
Speaking to the Daily News, former Parliamentarian Vasudewa Nanayakkara said Rajapaksa would certainly contest from the the UPFA, under the symbol ‘betel leaf’, with all the MPs who supported him.
However, SLFP Senior Vice Chairman S.B. Dissanayake told the Daily News that the final decision on the matter would be taken today.
(Daily News)
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we do not want to see the corrupt regime back again to drain our resources of what ever that is left please Mr. present President say no to thugs Hooligans drug peddlers pick pockets chain snatchers and elephont rouges. Please remember you were voted as a common candidate by all parties and supporters to change the corrupt regime not only the corrupt president but all his disciples as well, as we need a new Sri-Lanka for the future generations to come do not get back the old regime for the sake of the country a small split in a party is not a problem it will be the corrupt that will join together and the entire country and world will know who they are we need clean politics future generations to come will praise you for a change
Hi Concerned.
You should be concerned because you just talk through your hat. There was so much accusation thrown at MR and his family prior to the presidential elections. Unfortunately any one in the MR family has been found guilty as yet so that only means that either the allegations were baseless or the current president and his cronies do not the guts to put their money where their mouth is.
This is a classic example for the saying”Barking dogs do not bite”. That is all the current regime is doing. Making so many accusations and trying to bring disrepute a man who was responsible for bringing peace to our wonderful country. And then developing the country’s infrastructure at a pace that no other leader has done. All these jokers seem to be doing is throwing shit at great people and making this amendment and that amendment. The general public of the country has not been benefited by any of their actions. Oh! I forgot they reduced the price of Kottamalli for the poor people and granted RS. 20,000 for pregnant mothers because we do have a population crisis in our country. This will surely pave the way for more illicit children.
I had great regard for Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa. He eliminated tamil terrorism and he initiated massive development projects, countrywide.
But I now see him with a begging bowl to stupid pambayas who are occupying high chairs with no backbone. The pambaya was pushed by the cunning and sponsored by illegal CIA greenbacks.
The earlier we get rid of this pambaya, the better off we will all be.
Mahinda Rajapaksa should go into temp retirement until the crocodiles feast on the pambaya.
Well said concern, I agree with him.