A decision will be taken at the next SLFP central committee meeting on the SLFP MPs in the Joint Opposition who didn’t participate in the SLFP May Day rally at Getambe, despite the official invitation extended to them by the party high command, UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.
As we did in the recent past, we are trying our best to reach a consensus between two SLFP factions. President Maithripala Sirisena or any one of us has no intention whatsoever to create divisions in the SLFP. If a faction of the SLFP MPs quit and form a new party, it would be advantageous to the UNP, the Minister told the Sunday Observer. “Today the President or SLFP seniors don’t take any individual decisions. As a party, all decisions are taken by its Central Committee. If some SLFP organisers are not fulfilling their duties and work for another political party, the SLFP high command has to take a decision regarding them,” he said. Actually, all those SLFP organisers became popular after they joined the party. Even I was not popular when I initially joined the SLFP. Later I became popular because of the party. People become popular because of their party. A political party doesn’t become popular because of individuals, he said.
Minister Amaraweera said, “The new SLFP organisers we appointed are now becoming popular. Our intention is to form a SLFP Government by 2020. I hope even the President would also accept our party view. Meanwhile, UPFA Matara District MP Dullas Alahapperuma told the Sunday Observer that if the SLFP faction in the Government is ready to reach a consensus with the Joint Opposition (JO), they would definitely be ready for that.”
However, the SLFP Ministers who attempt to unite the party are being attacked by the UNP ministers with abusive language. We could see the verbal blows launched against Labour Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne by Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne at the UNP May Day rally. Minister Seneviratne is one of the most senior SLFP leaders and he is making a genuine effort to unite two SLFP factions. The JO front-liner said the only issue they have is the opportunity given to the UNP to use the SLFP for their survival. “If the two SLFP factions does not reach a compromise whether the JO will separately contest the Local Government and Parliamentary elections is a question asked by the State media, ignoring the fact that LG elections have been indefinitely postponed,” he said.