Meeting Between President Maithripala Sirisena and Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa Likely to Occur within the Next few days.

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Shamindra Ferdinando

MR MS CARDS

A pow wow between President Maithripala Sirisena and his predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is on the cards consequent to a meeting between the President and a senior SLFP delegation on Monday evening (Jan 12) at the former’s Wijerama Mawatha residence.

The meeting is likely to take place within the next few days at a venue mutually acceptable to both parties.

SLFP Treasurer Dullas Alahapperuma yesterday told The Island that the President and the SLFP delegation had agreed to the meeting, though President Sirisena said that an immediate meeting couldn’t be arranged due to the papal visit.

The former Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister described the meeting as cordial.

Pope Francis arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday morning. The Holy Father is scheduled to leave for the Philippines today (Jan 15).

According to SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, MP, a delegation led by senior Vice President Nimal Siripala de Silva, met President Sirisena in accordance with a decision taken by the Central Committee. The Central Committee was responding to a request made by President Sirisena.

The SLFP delegation included MP Yapa, MP Alahapperuma, SLFP Vice President and UPFA General Secretary Susil Premjayantha, deputy secretary Pavitra Wanniarachchi, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, MP and Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council Prasanna Ranatunga.

Having congratulated President Sirisena on his victory at the presidential poll, the SLFP delegation sought the former SLFP General Secretary’s immediate intervention to stop on-going violence against SLFP supporters since the conclusion of the poll.

The SLFP delegation has also assured President Sirisena’s readiness to back his 100-day programme.

Political sources told The Island that the SLFP had been severely undermined by a series of defections since the conclusion of the poll with over 30 MP s including those of UPFA constituent members pledging their allegiance to President Sirisena.

The situation had taken a turn for the worse with the UPFA-run Provincial Councils now under siege with both Eastern and Uva Provincial Councils likely to fall to the UNP shortly, sources said.

Courtesy:The Island