President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the SLFP President, addressed the SLFP Central Committee (CC), Executive Committee and All-Island Working Committee on Thursday, March 2, calling upon all SLFPers to join hands to make the SLFP a clean party without any traits of corruption, to enable the party to go to the people with clean hands, Science, Technology and Research Minister, Susil Premajayantha told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
Asked whether any decision was taken at the meetings about the SLFP MPs in the Joint Opposition (JO), the Minister said that no such decision was taken and the President requested all SLFP MPs, Provincial Councilors and party cadres to join the party and work hard to strengthen it.
“If we strengthen the party, then of course, we are sure that we can form our own SLFP Government in the future. Especially, most of the youth voted for a change expecting clean governance. In order to fulfill it, it is our bounden duty to make SLFP, a clean party,” the Minister said.
Minister Premajayantha said in keeping with the party constitution, the SLFP convened its Central Committee, Executive Committee and All Island Working Committee meetings on Thursday.
However, there were no key issues discussed at these meetings. But at the All Island and Executive Committee meetings, the SLFP General Secretary and Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake explained what we have done so far during the last couple of months.
The Youth and Women’s Fora and other organisations of the SLFP are also in progress. The SLFP General Secretary called upon all the organisers to complete their job before the end of March. Meanwhile, a resolution was also passed by the All Island Working Committee to thank the President for appointing a Presidential Commission to probe the Central Bank Bond scam. This resolution moved by Former Minister Athauda Seneviratne was seconded by Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.
The Minister said the split in the SLFP started at the last General Election. Immediately after the Presidential Election, there were some short sighted groups and they are acting like that.
“But that is not our position. We are always with the party. Even the SLFP members in the JO have not yet said that they would quit the SLFP and separately contest at the upcoming Local Government elections,” he said.
Asked whether there were any discussions to reach consensus between the two SLFP factions, the Minister said that it is incumbent on those who are responsible for that. Before the last General Election, “We honestly intervened to get all the forces together under one banner. But some people misinterpreted it. Therefore, we just keep quiet and do what we are assigned to do.”