Dayasiri asks Namal aspiring to higher office to learn from his father

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Having declared in Hambantota over the weekend that SLFP wouldn’t give up its ongoing political campaign under any circumstances, SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera told The Island yesterday (16) the revamping of the party was on track amidst ongoing disputes with the SLPP. Lawmaker Jayasekera emphasized their drive wouldn’t be reversed regardless of the consequences.

State Minister Jayasekera pointed out that former President and the SLPP leader Maithripala Sirisena, in his address to the Hambantota District convention at the Anugakolapalessa town hall stated that the SLFP wouldn’t keep quiet in spite of SLPP’s pressure. The former President, senior SLFPer cabinet minister Mahinda Amaraweera and State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera declared in unison their determination to face the SLPP challenge.

Minister Amaraweera told the Hambantota convention that they had a right to take up issues both at cabinet level and directly with the people. The Minister said that no one could interfere with that right.

MP Jayasekera said that they were in serious conflict with the SLPP, the main constituent of the ruling coalition over the latter’s handling of political issues as well as a range of other developments such as fertilizer and debt servicing crises.

The SLFP parliamentary group comprises 14 members, including one National List MP Dr. Suren Raghavan. Altogether, the SLPP led government parliamentary group consists of 145 members. Of them, 117 have been elected on the SLPP ticket and appointed on its National List.

Kurunegala District lawmaker said as he pointed out at the Hambantota convention that Minister Namal Rajapaksa should realize the SLPP couldn’t achieve future political targets without the SLFP’s backing. Pointing out that recently Minister Namal Rajapaksa aspiring to be the next leader asked the SLFP to leave the government, State Minister Jayasekera emphasized that Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa never said so. The former President and incumbent Premier addressed internal issues tactfully.

Former Minister Jayasekesa said that the SLPP leadership quite conveniently had forgotten their candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa couldn’t have obtained 6.9 mn votes at the last presidential election without the SLFP’s backing. “They had about five mn votes. The remaining 1.9 were SLFPers,” MP Jayasekera said, adding that the ruling coalition couldn’t have secured as many as 145 seats if the SLFP didn’t contest on the SLPP ticket.

The SLFP General Secretary said that the party held conventions in most of the district. We’ll be having conventions in Moneragala, Colombo, Gampaha, Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Jaffna and Polonnaruwa in the coming months.”

Lawmaker Jayasekera said that the SLPP couldn’t expect the SLFP to simply toe the line. Minister Namal Rajapaksa aspiring to be future PM and President shouldn’t repeat fellow members’ ludicrous response to constituents taking a stand contrary to that of the SLPP on a particular issue. State Minister said that the SLFP unhesitatingly backed Ministers Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimal Weeawansa and Udaya Gammanpila on the Yugadanavi issue as there was general consensus regarding the manipulation of cabinet procedures in authorizing the agreement. “We’ll not back down,” MP Jayasekera said.

Responding to another query, lawmaker Jayasekera said that the government would have done a lot better if the top leadership ensured proper dialogue among constituents. Unfortunately, there hadn’t been a proper mechanism to discuss contentious matters though the SLPP repeatedly claimed issues could have been dealt at cabinet level or at the parliamentary group.

The SLPP’s strategies resulted in the rapid deterioration of the government. The State Minister pointed out how the government (SLPP) put off Local Government polls scheduled for March 2022 to the following year without consulting other political parties. Had the SLPP followed basic principles in a coalition government, the government wouldn’t have been in crisis today, the MP said.