Video: More want Dinesh as Opposition Leader: Wimal

30 March 2015 11:32 am

The motion which was signed by 58 opposition parliamentarians supporting the nomination of MEP Leader Dinseh Gunawardane as Opposition Leader would be presented to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa next week, National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa said today.

He said some of the MPs who had earlier signed a petition in support of Nimal Sirirpala de Silva as Opposition Leader had now pledged their support to Mr. Gunawardane after submitting affidavits.

“We expect the number of signatures to increase in the next few days and to submit the motion to the Speaker next week,” he told a news briefing held at Abhayaramaya in Colombo.

UPFA MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila and Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) Vice President Somaweera Chandrasiri also participated at the news conference.

Mr. Weerawansa accused the government was following a detrimental authoritarian while accusing the previous government of being authoritative.
“The incumbent government controls the executive, the post of Prime Minister and that of the opposition leader. Is this Yahapalanaya?  This is a result of abnormal authoritarian governance,” he said.

Mr. Weerawansa said the government had launched a witch hunt against those who contributed to the war victory and the interrogation of former Chief of Defence Staff Roshan Gunathilake was a part of it.

Meanwhile, MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the government was deviating from its Budget proposals to impose taxes on large scale businesses following the instructions of a new Finance Ministry consultant R. Paskaralingam.

He said that the May Day rally organised by their political parties will be held with the presence of hundreds of trade unions and added that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would hopefully attend the rally as he was also a former labour minister.  

Provincial Councillor Udaya Gammanpila said the government’s attempts to delay the general elections would only intensify the mounting support to former President Rajapaksa. “If the government delays holding the election against the mandate given to it, we will accelerate pressure against the government starting from our next rally in Kurunegala,” he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla and Sanath Desmond)