Lalith Dissanayake Lashes Out At Rajapaksa Supporters
August 25, 2015
Sri Lanka Freedom Party Aranayake Chief Organizer Lalith Dissanayake said that he lost the election due to a systematic campaign carried out by a section of the UPFA.
Speaking at a press conference convened at his residence, Dissanayake said that a section of the party labeled him as a UNP supporter for accepting ministerial duties under the ‘good governance government.’
Those who supported former President Mahinda Rajapaksa led a campaign to defeat those who had offered their support to the ‘good governance government’ and he was also a victim of this campaign, he added.
Dissanayake refuted the allegations that he had betrayed the SLFP, saying that he did not leave the party when it was defeated in 2001.
Dissanayake contested the recent election from the Kegalle District but failed to enter parliament.
Former Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that around 50 to 60 UPFA MPs are likely to sit in opposition despite the formation of a national government.
Speaking to Asian Mirror, Gunawardena said that he will also sit in opposition since forming a national government was not the objective of those who voted for him. He said that he had already informed the Secretary to the President that he would be sitting in the opposition.
Gunawardena maintained that the need for a national government was raised due to several reasons. There was a need to face the possible challenges coming from the UNHRC, he said. Meanwhile, the devolution of power and working out a new constitution were serious tasks to be faced by the government. Since the UNP could not form a government on its own, some SLFP MPs expressed willingness to support the formation of a government, Gunawardena said.
Susil Premajayantha Resigns As UPFA General Secretary
August 25, 2015
Susil Premajayantha resigned as United People’s Freedom Front General Secretary, thereby ending the dispute over the position. He has written a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena informing of his decision.
Premajayantha was the founding General Secretary of the party. On August 14, the Colombo District Court issued an injunction order against his functioning as UPFA General Secretary following a request by Prof. Vishwa Warnapala. It was revealed that the UPFA Chairman Maithripala Sirisena had removed him and appointed Prof. Warnapala as Acting General Secretary.
However, Premajayantha refused to accept the injunction order, arguing that the party Chairman cannot remove the General Secretary without the approval of the Executive Committee of the UPFA. A petition filed against the removal is to be considered on August 28.
Rajapaksa Recommends Welgama As Opposition Leader
August 25, 2015
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that former Minister Kumara Welgama is a good candidate for the post of opposition leader.
Speaking to local media, Rajapaksa said that many elected SLFP MPs agree that Welgama is a good candidate for the post.
Rajapaksa added that he has no intention of becoming the opposition leader.
He also maintained that it was easy to do politics with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe since he did not take revenge.
Rajapaksa was seen in public with Wickremesinghe on several occasions after the August 17 election, most notably at the Prime Minister's swearing-in ceremony on August 21, and the felicitation ceremony of Kumar Sangakkara held yesterday.
Despite Rajapaksa's refusal to accept the opposition leader's position, some of his supporters are urging him to change his mind. National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa said yesterday that Rajapaksa will have to accept if a majority of the opposition requests him to do so.
National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa lashed out at former UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha, pointing out that he may have played a 'double game' or a 'triple game' during the general election.
He made this comment answering a question from the media during a press conference held at Abhayarama Temple in Colombo today. Weerawansa also said that Susil Premajayantha is rumored to be appointed a minister in the national government.
Premajayantha was instrumental in obtaining nominations to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa through the UPFA. He was removed as UPFA General Secretary by President Maithripala Sirisena merely three days before the general election.
Meanwhile, Weerawansa said that the national government was formed so that the opposition could be controlled. He added that neither the UNP supporters nor the UPFA supporters voted to form a national government.
He added that he was opposed to the national government and would be sitting in the opposition.
Speaking at the press conference, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila and Left Democratic Front General Secretary Vasudeva Nanayakkara also opposed the national government.
Petition Challenging Enjoining Order On Premajayantha, Yapa To Be Heard On August 28
August 24, 2015
Colombo District Court decided to consider a petition challenging the enjoining order against Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa on August 28.
Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri filed a petition against the enjoining order, saying that it had been obtained by misusing judicial powers. He asked the court to permit him to act as an intervening party in the hearing of the enjoining order.
The enjoining order stayed the functioning of Premajayantha and Yapa as General Secretaries of UPFA and SLFP respectively. It was obtained by Acting General Secretaries of UPFA and SLFP, Prof Wishwa Warnapala and Duminda Dissanayake.
The next hearing of the enjoining order will also take place on August 28.
President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are to discuss the appointments to the Cabinet of the national government today, reports said.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the Prime Minister and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had also held discussions on the matter.
Political sources said that certin changes were likely in the next Cabinet compared to the Cabinet of the previous government.
Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga were instrumental in assigning ministerial portfolios following the election victory of President Maithripala Sirisena in January.
The UNP and the SLFP agreed to form a national government for a period of two years following the UNP election victory at the August 17 general election.
Speaking at an event in Kinniya yesterday, President Sirisena said that the new Cabinet of Ministers will be sworn in within the coming week.
T.B. Ekanayake Removed From UPFA Executive Committee
August 22, 2015
Former Minister T.B. Ekanayake said today that he received two letters indicating his expulsion from the UPFA Executive Committee (EC) yesterday.
The letters had been signed by SLFP Acting General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake and UPFA General Secretary Prof. Wishwa Warnapala.
He added that he is the fourth individual who received such letters.
It was reported yesterday that former Ministers S.M. Chandrasena, Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Kumara Welgama had also received their letters of expulsion from the UPFA Executive Committee.
Ekanayake said that he was disappointed at receiving such letters especially considering their electoral performance. All four individuals who were sacked, performed well in the election, he pointed out.
The UPFA has appointed several defeated candidates to the parliament through the national list.
The party won 12 national list MPs at the recent general election. S.B. Dissanayake (Kandy), Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena (Matara), Thilanga Sumathipala (Colombo), Vijith Wijayamuni Soyza (Moneragala), Mahinda Samarasinghe (Kalutara) and MLAM Hisbulla (Batticaloa) are among the defeated candidates appointed through the national list.
The Full List
S.B. Dissanayake
Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena
Thilanga Sumathipala
Vijith Wijayamuni Soyza
Mahinda Samarasinghe
MLAM Hisbulla
Malith Jayathilake
Dilan Perera
Angajan Ramanathan
Faizer Musthapa
A.H.M. Fowzie
Dr. Sarath Amunugama
Welgama Removed From UPFA Executive Committee
August 21, 2015
Former UPFA MP Kumara Welgama said that he was sent a letter informing his removal from the UPFA Executive Committee on allegedly violating the party constitution.
Speaking to Asian Mirror, he said that there was no prior warning of his removal and that he was not informed of any charges against him.
Furthermore, he added that he was always opposed to the idea of a national government and his position will not be altered.
Welgama contested the recently concluded general election from Kalutara District and led the preference votes.
Welgama is a staunch ally of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
