Mahinda-led SLFP dissident group to function as Opposition in Parliament?
Neomal Perera accuses Mahinda of causing defeat of many SLFPers
by Zacki Jabbar
Despite the UNP and SLFP forming a National Government, some SLFP parliamentarians who are not happy with the arrangement are planning to function as the Opposition.
An SLFP’er who was appointed a Minister on Friday told the “Sunday Island” that all was not well in the SLFP camp with the dissident group led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa canvassing support among disgruntled MP’s to stage a coup d’etat of sorts to function as the Opposition in direct violation of the SLFP Central Committee’s endorsement for the formation of a National Government with the UNP and like minded parties.
Asked whether the rebels would face party disciplinary action if they carried out their plan , the Minister replied ” Yes, that would happen. But their objective is to create confusion and conditions for the formation of an UPFA administration for which they are willing to take the risk. They will bide their time and strike at the right moment.”He said that other constiuents of the UPFA such as the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, Communist Party, Democratic Left Front, National Freedom Front and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya could be in the Opposition without an issue since the National Government arrangement was between the UNP and SLFP.
Meanwhile the SLFP’s Chief Organizer for Chilaw, Neomal Perera, acccused Mahinda Rajapaksa of having engineered the defeat of many SLFPers at the last Parliamentary Polls for not expressing solidarity with him after his defeat at the January 8 Presidential Election.
“Mahinda campaigned against those SLFPers, including me, who did not go to Medamulana after January 8 and plot against President Maithripala Sirisena. I lost due to his actions,” Perera claimed.
He said that the former President had failed to understand that they were with the party and not with any individual. This resulted in the SLFP not securing more parliamentary seats.
However, after the polls Sirisena gave Mahinda a fitting reply by appointing some of the candidates who had lost due to his (Mahinda’s) sabotage by appointing them as National List MP’s, Perera noted.
“Considering what happened during the campaign, you cannot blame the President for what he did,” he said.