Minor Export Crop Promotion Minister Reginald Cooray stated that the common opposition supporting Maithripala Sirisena has forces of reaction beneath the surface.

Taking part in a political talk show in a private TV channel last night, he said that the progressive forces in the country have rallied around the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He added that the common opposition cannot hope to win the election without the support of the United National Party. Whatever said and done, the UNP is by far the largest group in the opposition alliance, he maintained.

Therefore, although the main speakers of the opposition are not UNP members, the bulk of the electoral strength of the opposition is due to the UNP, he said. Since UNP is the main representation of rightwing politics, the opposition is giving strength to the forces of reaction, Cooray argued.

Furthermore, Cooray said that there have been a number of defections from the SLFP and it had only helped to weaken the progressive left forces. He said that after the leftist parties left the United Front Alliance in the 1970s, they were reduced to minor players. Many SLFP defectors either left politics, helped strengthen rightwing forces or returned to the SLFP, he added.