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Sirisena to unite and relaunch UPFA
View(s):President Maithripala Sirisena has invited all constituent parties of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) for what has been described as a ‘relaunch’ of the alliance, Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva said yesterday. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Viharamahadevi open air theatre on April 23. “The meeting is also being held to show the solidarity of the alliance,” he said.
The SLFP’s Senior Vice President John Seneviratne said the meeting was aimed at discussing “issues which we have within the UPFA”.“We hope to discuss and resolve issues within the alliance. All the parties in the Alliance have been invited for the meeting,” he said. Minister A.H.M. Fowzie said President Sirisena was planning to ‘reunite’ the alliance with the objective of contesting elections as one group. “Our aim is to contest parliamentary elections under one group and get a mandate from the public,” he said.
The move came as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) reiterated its stance that the 19th Amendment and electoral reforms should be passed simultaneously in Parliament.Mr. Seneviratne said that the SLFP’s proposals on electoral reforms were handed over to all the party leaders. “It is up to the UNP to decide on that. We should remember the electoral reforms also are an important pledge given by President Sirisena during the presidential election campaign,” he said.
However, Minister Kabir Hashim, who is also the UNP General Secretary, said there was no need to bring the SLFP electoral proposals as a Cabinet Paper since the Prime minister had submitted a paper on electoral reforms to the Cabinet two weeks ago and had a detailed discussion with the ministers. ”The UNP is committed to the promises made in the presidential elections manifesto. Constitutional amendments and electoral reforms were two of the pledges. We will adopt the electoral reforms in Parliament,” he said.
“Nothing can delay the elections. We are committed to the dissolution of Parliament as scheduled (on April 23),” he added.
He said there were attempts by certain sections to block the 19th Amendment.
President Sirisena was planning to ‘reunite’ the alliance with the objective of contesting elections as one group. “Our aim is to contest parliamentary elections under one group and get a mandate from the public,” he said. The move came as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) reiterated its stance that the 19th Amendment and electoral reforms should be passed simultaneously in Parliament.Mr. Seneviratne said that the SLFP’s proposals on electoral reforms were handed over to all the party leaders.
“It is up to the UNP to decide on that. We should remember the electoral reforms also are an important pledge given by President Sirisena during the presidential election campaign,” he said. However, Minister Kabir Hashim, who is also the UNP General Secretary, said there was no need to bring the SLFP electoral proposals as a cabinet paper since the Prime minister had submitted a paper on electoral reforms to the Cabinet two weeks ago and had a detail discussion with the ministers.
“The UNP is committed to the promises made in the presidential elections manifesto. Constitutional amendments and electoral reforms were two of the pledges. We will adopt the electoral reforms in Parliament,” he said. “Nothing can delay the elections. We are committed to the dissolution of Parliament as scheduled (on April 23),” he added.
He said there were attempts by certain sections to block the 19th Amendment.