News
CBK – Sirisena patch-up in SLFP’s interest?
By Aruna Boghawatte
Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga has given her consent to join the SLFP again, party sources told the Sunday Island on Friday.She gave her consent to re-join the party when several SLFP stalwarts met her last week, party sources said. Signifying her rejoining, the former President is scheduled to attend SWRD Bandaranaike commemoration scheduled to be held at the Bandaranaike statue in Galle Face tomorrow (8), party sources said.
Kumaratunga was offered the party leadership but she insisted that she must be the party’s chairperson, a position more powerful than the party leadership according to its constitution, sources said.
Incumbent party President and Leader former President Maithripala Sirisena has agreed to give powers to Kumaratunga to appoint members to the party’s Central Committee. However, Kumaratunga has not yet responded to that offer, party sources said, adding that bringing in Chandrika Kumaratunga back to the party is one of the main moves for the party’s reforms program in view of upcoming elections.
The SLFP executive committee and the central committee are scheduled to meet on Monday (8) at the party headquarters in Darley Road where a final decision would be made on the post and powers to be given to former President Kumaratunga, sources said. The committees are also tasked with discussing the ways and means of facing upcoming elections.
Sources said that as of now the incumbent party leadership and top brass have come to an agreement that the party would face any upcoming election in alliance with other like-minded parties.
CBK played a major role in anointing Maithripala Sirisena as the common opposition candidate at the presidential election of 2019 when Sirisena defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa. But she and the president soon became distanced from each other and have not for many years appeared together at Bandaranaike commemoration events.
NPP Parliamentarian Asoka Ranwala who was appointed the 22nd Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, on 21st November has resigned from his position today [13], in the wake of the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has officially appointed members to the Port City Economic Commission.
Accordingly Harsha Amarasekera, President’s Counsel, has been appointed as the Chairman while Damien Amal Cabraal, Mohan Ray Abeywardena, Sanjaya Kulatunga, and Dr. Harsha Subasinghe were appointed as members of the Port City Economic Commission
The official letters of appointment were handed over to the members by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (13).
“We will not allow the trust the people have placed in us to be undermined in any way,” stated President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during a meeting with the heads of state media today (13).
He further emphasised, “Regardless of their status in government, if mistakes are made, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.”
The President further explained:
“For more than seven decades, the people of this nation have built and dismantled various governments. For the first time, we stand with a profound understanding of the historic mandate entrusted to us and the National People’s Power on two occasions.
The people placed their faith in the National People’s Power (NPP) government, hoping for a standardised and stable country. We will not tarnish that extraordinary trust, even by the slightest misconduct.
Simply put, our government is not here to shield anyone who errs, for any reason. Be it within the broader framework of the country or within our administration, anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will face consequences. We will not hesitate to act decisively and at the right time. In essence, our government will not shield anyone who makes a mistake, regardless of the reason. Whether the mistake occurs within the country or at any level within our government, we will not hesitate to take decisive action. Every necessary step will be taken at the appropriate time without delay.”
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to upholding the trust placed in them by the people, who have endured decades of deception. He pledged to work tirelessly to build a better nation.
The Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Director-General of Government Information, Harsha Bandara, and the heads of state media were present at the meeting.
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