By Sandun A. Jayasekera 

SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara yesterday rejected the claim made by former Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya last Friday that the SLFP was likely to support SLPP’s presidential hopeful Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

Addressing a news briefing held last Friday at the party office, Mr. Siyambalapitiya who represented the SLFP Graduates’ Association said the SLPP decided to boycott the presidential poll and that the Graduates’ Association unanimously supported Mr. Rajapaksa. 

Meanwhile, the SLFP General Secretary told Daily Mirror that it was irresponsible and incorrect to opine the SLFP had decided to refrain from contesting the presidential poll or pledging support to Mr. Rajapaksa. 

“This might be the stance of Mr. Siyambalapitiya, but the SLFP does not take decisions based on whims and fancies of individuals. It is nigh impossible for the SLFP to join the SLPP to form an alliance in support of Mr. Rajapaksa because the latter is not ready to oblige to our simple request to change the Pohottuwa symbol and declare a common one mutually agreed upon. Our request is not a pre-condition as we are ready to abandon SLFP’s hand symbol. President Maithripala Sirisena expressed at the Kurunegala SLFP rally held last Sunday how he treated the SLPP and its leaders. He recalled that he made the SLPP, opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister and later as opposition leader despite SLPP’s step-motherly treatment to the SLFP. We want the SLPP to change the Pohottuwa symbol because it is difficult for us to ask our voters to poll for the said symbol. If the SLPP cannot accept our simple request for a symbol change, then there is no point in continuing further talks. The proposal to support Mr. Rajapaksa was neither put to ratification of the Central Committee nor approved by the party leader as claimed by Mr. Siyambalapitiya. Except for a very few, a majority in the SLFP hierarchy, voters and supporters do not encourage the SLFP to join the SLPP to support Mr. Rajapaksa’s election campaign,” he said.  

If the SLPP cannot accept our simple request for a symbol change, then there is no point in continuing further talks