By Rasika Somarathna

Over five Parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), who previously aligned themselves with the group supporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, are now holding discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena’s associates to switch allegiance, highly placed political sources told the Daily News.

The group is likely to back President Sirisena, Chairman of the SLFP, ahead of the forthcoming Parliamentary election. These fresh negotiations also come in the wake of the Supreme Court’s determination on the 19th Amendment which clearly defined the powers of the President and the Prime Minister with the adoption of the constitutional amendment.

“The Supreme Court’s determination on the 19th Amendment cleared the air on many issues with regard to the powers of the President. According to the SC determination, the President, the head of the state, and the Prime Minister should act in collaboration on many fronts and mutual trust is needed. This has put a damper on the moves to bring the former President back as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the SLFP,” a senior Parliamentarian of the SLFP told the Daily News yesterday.

When contacted, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, a SLFP member who accepted ministerial portfolios from the government, said discussions were held with the aim of bringing warring factions within the UPFA under one roof.

While refusing to name the individuals with whom the discussions were held, Amaraweera said that he believed that these individuals and groups with different views would be able to find common ground soon.

Amaraweera also said that the SLFP and the UPFA believed that former President’s Chandrika Bandaranaike and Mahinda Rajapaksa and the incumbent Maithripala Sirisena should work together to form a strong political alliance to face the next general elections.

However, with the group supporting Rajapaksa planning to hold a separate May Day rally in Kirulapona with the former President at the chair, the future of the peace negotiations within the party looks bleak, party sources said.

Meanwhile, Lanka Sama Samaja Party leader Prof. Tissa Vitarana said a UPFA party leaders meeting convened by President Sirisena on Saturday had discussed at length on how to further strengthen the coalition in addition to the issues concerning constitutional and electoral reforms.

According to Prof.Vitarana, President Sirisena had mentioned during the meeting that there were no obstacles to Rajapaksa contesting the forthcoming general election under the UPFA.

Prof. Vitarana described Saturday’s discussion among UPFA party leaders as very cordial and fruitful.

However, according to party sources, the President had told a group of SLFP MPs on Saturday that it was impossible to name Rajapaksa as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the SLFP as there were various allegations against him.

Courtesy:Daily News