The Galle Face May Day rally is organised by a breakaway faction of the UNP and as such it cannot be called a Joint Opposition (JO) May Day rally, Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Chandima Weerakkody told the Sunday Observer.
When one looks at the members of the newly formed party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna under the leadership of former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris, most of those who hold high positions in the party including former Economic Affairs Minister Basil Rajapaksa were ex-UNPers, the Minister said.
“We must ask the SLFP MPs in JO as to why they are going to join a UNP-sponsored May Day rally. Even the venue for the JO May Day rally was found by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The SLFP members will teach them a good lesson for what they are doing, splitting the party for the betterment of the UNP,” he said.
However, the largest gathering of the people will be at the SLFP May Day rally in Gatambe, Kandy.
The people have faith in the SLFP because it was the SLFP Governments that were always committed to safeguard workers’ rights. Even today the Government under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena has done a lot to strengthen workers’ rights. The incumbent Government increased the salaries of public servants and also taken a series of measures to ensure their rights, the Minister said.
Minister Weerakkody said the people will feel that they should strengthen the SLFP and rally around the SLFP to improve their working conditions, rights and bring unity among the workerers. When asked whether the SLFP party hierarchy had decided to take any disciplinary action against the SLFP MPs who participate in the JO May Day rally, the Minister said that they have not discussed it as yet and the matter will be decided on a later date.
“We call upon all the SLFP MPs in the JO to attend the SLFP May Day rally at Gatambe, Kandy. I can assure the largest number of people will be at the SLFP May Day rally,” the Minister said.