Will Mahinda Rajapaksa Speak at the Feb 18th Nugegoda Rally Organized by the Dinesh-Vasu-Wimal-Udaya Quartet?

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Shamindra Ferdinando

The SLFP as well as UPFA constituents, the Communist Party and the LSSP have distanced themselves from an ambitious project meant to bring back former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to active politics ahead of dissolution of parliament in late April.

Authoritative political sources told The Island that the SLFP wouldn’t take part in the campaign spearheaded by three former cabinet ministers, Dinesh Gunawardena (MEP), Wimal Weerawansa (National Freedom Front) and Vasudeva Nanayakkara (Democratic Left Front) to field former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA Prime Ministerial candidate.

UPFA Western Provincial Council member Udaya Gammanpila, too, has thrown his weight behind the campaign.

Although, the Dinesh-Wimal-Vasu led coalition has said that the former President will come on their stage on Feb 18th, Rajapaksa has not yet indicated his willingness to do so.

The former President early this week declined to comment on the move when the media confronted him outside Welikada Prison. He was leaving the state pen after having visited former UPFA Minister Tissa Attanayake.

Having lost the presidential poll, Rajapaksa handed over SLFP leadership to President Maithripala Sirisena to avert a split in the party.

Meanwhile, the SLFP has deprived Udaya Gammanpila of his ministerial portfolio at the WPC.

On the instructions of President Maithripala Sirisena, Gamini Tillekasiri early this week was sworn in as Gammanpila’s successor at a brief ceremony attended by Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva, MP and UPFA Gen. Secretary, Susil Premjayantha, MP.

Meanwhile, WP Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that he was strongly opposed to moves made by some UPFA constituents to dictate terms to the SLFP on the question who its next prime ministerial candidate should be.

Ranatunga said that the decision should be taken by the SLFP in consultation with other parties and it wouldn’t be right for constituents to make decisions on behalf of the SLFP.

Ranatunga reiterated his call for President Maithripala Sirisena and his predecessors, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa to appear on one stage.

Courtesy:The Island