Disband it and Join UNP
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party which almost equally shared the post-independent 72-year administration 
switching roles with UNP could manage a meagre 1.47 and 1.57% of valid votes in Nuwara-Eliya and Kalutara, in the two districts in the South that they challenged their own off-shoot ‘Pohottuwa’ at 2020 General Elections, seems ignorant on the place they currently occupy in the electoral map of Sri Lanka. However, they fared extremely well in Northern Jaffna with a 13.7% gain compared to a combined 5.5 % of UNP and SJB.
In an interview with The Hindu of December 30, Maithripala Sirisena, the present beleaguered leader of the once-powerful political entity that secured ruling majorities under SWRD, Sirimavo, Chandrika and Mahinda, had stated two very rational statements.
Firstly, ‘Abolishing provincial councils is like playing with fire,’ and on the issue of final rights to Covid-19 deaths, “… Muslims must be given the right to bury their relatives who succumbed to it’; prudent counselling to the current leadership of SLPP by the man who is responsible for the party’s downfall, reminding us the famous Sinhala adage “Baley Thiyanakota mole ne—mole thiyanakota baley ne”
"Today he is heading the party which he strangled to suffocate, lately, endeavouring to pump oxygen and revive it. The truth is that a large majority of the party’s village-level followers and the rank and file are with Rajapaksas"
Former President Sirisena, who was duped by a few covert characters while holding cabinet portfolios in the Rajapaksa government, decided to decamp from the Rajapaksa led SLFP, the party formed by the late S.W.R.D Bandaranaike just a day after Maithri was born on 1st September 1951.
Since then he became a pawn, innocent and unsuspecting, in the hands of astute UNP Leadership. Securing a historic election win in 2015, they together formed a unique and unusual combination that lasted happily only for a year and a half.
Seasoned campaigner Mahinda Rajapaksa, immediately after losing the 2015 Presidential election laid a trap for Sirisena by offering the SLFP leadership on a platter in which Maithri got irretrievably entangled.
Next, Ranil deceived him by a 19th amendment aimed at transferring all Presidential powers on to PM which the SC diluted by ordering a referendum. By mid-2016 it became obvious that all was not well with the Yahapalana he jointly led with Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Realizing the ignominious position he was in Sirisena erroneously surmised that Rajapakses would field him for a second term and unconstitutionally sacked Ranil as PM and appointed his onetime bête noir Mahinda to the exalted office.
"Seasoned campaigner Mahinda Rajapaksa, immediately after losing the 2015 Presidential election laid a trap for Sirisena by offering the SLFP leadership on a platter in which Maithri got irretrievably entangled"
When Ranil’s FCID arrested and locked-up intelligent and other security forces officers, President Sirisena astoundingly declared, “I will not be submissive or under obligation to anybody. As the President I am bound to ensure the national security, to protect the tri-forces, give necessary facilities to them and protect their honour. If the intelligence officers now in remand custody have allegedly committed any offence they should be tried in courts, after getting them released on bail. If not ensure their early release. The suspects have their Fundamental Rights to secure bail and get their case to be heard before the courts of law.”
Sirisena is a true patriot; he is a politician, who possess unblemished integrity too. In 2015 did the people flaw when they decided to vote for him against Rajapakses, an act that caused instability followed by the economic downturn.
The ex-President ironically addressed election rallies in Kalutara and Nuwara-Eliya in support of his party candidates and opposing the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna [SLPP] men, and at the same time created history by winning his Polonnaruwa seat under SLPP backed by Rajapaksas.
He told Hindu that they were treated unjustly when selecting candidates of the general elections in last August; and if there is no just treatment, they will decide going alone. With only one MP to represent the SLFP, that is from Jaffna, the rest of the 13 won under Pohottuwa.
If they do go it alone with a 1.5 per cent vote bank it is hara-kiri. On 9th January 2015, Maithripala Sirisena who took oaths as the Executive President in Independence Square—as his foremost task, unconstitutionally appointed UNP leader as PM; and went further in transferring substantial presidential powers to him through 19A.
"Since then he became a pawn, innocent and unsuspecting, in the hands of astute UNP Leadership. Securing a historic election win in 2015, they together formed a unique and unusual combination that lasted happily only for a year and a half"
Today he is heading the party which he strangled to suffocate, lately, endeavouring to pump oxygen and revive it. The truth is that a large majority of the party’s village-level followers and the rank and file are with Rajapaksas.
On a soundtrack published by BBC in mid-2016, Maithri spoke of an incident a week before where Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the former Defence Secretary and three former Navy Commanders were taken to courts and about cases against members of the intelligence who have been under arrest for over a year and suggested that actions were politically motivated and were in violation of routine protocol.
The President, who directly violated the matter of ‘equality before the law’ by directly interfering with the action against his son over an assault incident at a night club, said,
“I express my intense displeasure and repulsion at the manner that former Commanders of Navy were hauled before the Courts.”
Sirisena never understood principles of Yahapalana, always raised queries regarding the cohabitation between the SLFP and UNP that led the coalition, which finally ended his intimacy of the Yahapalana Government.
Maithri, who was temporarily tasked to fix Mahinda, had no idea about what is in store for him. It was too late when he did realise that the FCID was politically motivated and that hounding of Army intelligence was part of the agenda to depress the military.
The grassroots SLFPers know for sure that he was the man who dumped the SLFP and Rajapaksas and handed over the reins to the UNP.
He and the few other disgruntled members who rally around him have only one option left. Unlike the SLFP, the UNP, the other partner of Yahapalana administration is undergoing a temporary setback only due to the arrogance of their leader Wickremasinghe; no other issues. He cannot manipulate the rules forever, the end is near; and once he goes, an intelligent and young leader who stuck with Sirikotha is destined to take over. The dilapidated party will set to elevate its position again back to its pristine glory. The long-standing grass root membership will flock to Sirikotha sans those who deserted at difficult times. Maithri’s best option would be to take it back to Pitakotte and create history after 70 years of separation by amalgamating with the grand old party.
Lastly, on Maithri’s statement on Burial of Covid19 deaths, we wish to quote the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka’s report issued a couple of days ago, which concludes:
“There is no solid evidence indicating that the burial of dead bodies would increase the spread of the disease…. CCPSL concludes that adhering to global guidelines13, each citizen of Sri Lanka should be allowed to be cremated or buried ….within the strict guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Health.”
The writer can be contacted at kksperera1@gmail.com
