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Ranil’s arrest a launching pad for major alliance
- Opposition parties to overcome internal challenges, competing interests
- Party met yesterday, decided to stand together against Govt
- Decides to broaden alliance
- Jaffna district independent MP Ramanathan Archuna also attended meeting
Colombo, August 28 (Daily Mirror) - The opposition parties – the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the People’s Alliance (PA) etc – that came together in the wake of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s arrest have decided to forge ahead in unity, with the aim of forming an electoral alliance overcoming internal challenges and competing interests in the future, Daily Mirror learns.
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, National Congress and Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) are also among the parties that came together to secure bail for Mr. Wickremesinghe.
The opposition parties’ collective which worked together to get bail for Mr. Wickremesinghe who was arrested and remanded for the alleged misuse of public funds for a foreign trip , had another round of talks yesterday to discuss the way forward against what they cited as a ‘ political witch-hunt’ by the government.
SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara who attended talks said that a committee of lawyers was appointed to look into attempts by the government to frame contempt of court charges against those who assembled near the Colombo Fort Magistrate for demonstration when Mr. Wickremesinghe was produced.
He said talks were focused on collective action against the government, but nothing was discussed about an electoral alliance yesterday.
“We have to stand together against moves by the government to throttle democracy,” he said.
Former Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa who attended the meeting representing the People’s Alliance said that attention was focused on facing current challenges against democracy but not on the formation of an electoral alliance in the immediate future. However, he did not rule out the possibility of such attempts later when the situation demanded.
SJB member former Minister Chandima Weerakkody said matters related to an electoral alliance were discussed on a previous occasion but not yesterday. He said the leaders discussed the need to broaden the alliance yesterday by inviting new parties and groups.
In the past, similar attempts were made for an electoral alliance in view of the local government election earlier this year, but in vain because of internal challenges such as agreeing on a common leader and sharing responsibilities.
The government has said that it will take steps to conduct the elections to the provincial councils next year.
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