Any alliance must be led by the SLFP: Party organizers

A group of SLFP organisers said yesterday that they would only support an alliance headed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and its leadership.

Southern Provincial Council Minister U.G. Dayawansa Ariyathilaka told a news conference that the SLFP had acted as the main force of all the alliances it got into so far and the other parties had to pay heed to the opinion of the main force.

“The SLFP has formed governments so far as an alliance, but played the role of the main force. When a party gets into an alliance, minority parties have to agree with the opinion of the main force in the alliance,” he said.

Mr. Dayawansa said about 20 organisers joined to protect the policies and the identity of the SLFP and that they pointed out from the beginning that the SLFP joining the UNP government was not good for the country and the SLFP.

He said it was vital to have a programme to ensure national security and win the confidence of all the communities and stressed that the people would not be benefited only by removing Ranil Wickremesinghe from premiership and toppling the UNP government.

“When the SLFP led government was formed on October 26, there was no definite programme on the cards,” Mr. Dayawansa said.

SLFP Mirigama organiser Sanjaya Siriwardana said the change of government on October 26 took place only when a development programme was launched by the government.

“The SLFP organisers had been allocated Rs.100 million for development work but it was halted by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa,” he said.

Kesbewa organiser Rajitha Kodituwakku said they would support an alliance headed by President Maithripala Sirisena and that he should be the presidential candidate at the next presidential election.

SLFP Beruwala organiser M.M. Amjad said the SLFP had experienced its greatest downturn during the past four years and appealed to the president not to get into an alliance with extremist and racial factions. (Ajith Siriwardana)