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SLFP leader warns party may be forced to go it alone
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party will be forced to contest the impending Provincial Council elections separately “if our quota of candidates” is not given by the ruling alliance, former President and party leader Maithripala Sirisena warned yesterday.
Pointing out that “we faced huge injustice during the parliamentary election,” Mr Sirisena told the Sunday Times, “if we don’t get fair treatment this time, there would be problems for us at the grassroots level.”
His remarks came as the Government is debating whether the PC polls should be held early or only after a new Constitution comes into effect. There was an inconclusive discussion on the subject at the weekly Cabinet meeting on December 7. “We will do our best to contest as an alliance but we have to decide as a party if our request is not heeded,” Mr. Sirisena said. Explaining what he called “huge injustice to the SLFP,” Mr Sirisena said, “There were no nominations for SLFP candidates in some districts. Examples are Kalutara and Nuwara Eliya.
We had three potential candidates from Gampaha but only one was given a chance.”
“If we had the list of candidates we proposed, there would have been at least 25 SLFP parliamentarians,” he said, pointing out that “we now have only 14 MPs.”
“When our requests are not met,” Mr. Sirisena complained “our party organisers have to face a huge problem. It is our strong view that our party should be meted out with justice at least during the PC elections,” he said.
Asked whether the SLFP would go its own way if the demands were not heeded, Mr Sirisena replied, “We can take a decision on that after discussing matters within the party.” He said the SLFP contested the parliamentary elections separately in the Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Jaffna districts. “That did not create any issues for us with the ruling alliance. We always discuss issues to ensure there are no issues. We can only hope they will be fair,” he said.
On the subject of Provincial Councils itself, Mr Sirisena said they were established as part of measures to resolve Tamil issues. It was the result of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1967 which led to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. “We need to turn back and see how 13A has helped in developing the country. I strongly feel that the PC system has not been properly studied. Even after 30 years, we have not found out whether they were successful or not,” he said.
The amount of money being spent on PCs raises an important question – whether its purposes are well served. “My view is that what we expected from the PCs has not materialised. We do not get a commensurate return for the money we invest in them. There is neither social-coexistence nor economic benefits,” he claimed.
Take for example, Mr Sirisena said, school children and health services. The government in power and the PCs have clashed over them. Consequently, the people do not benefit. “We must re-think and move towards a new system,” he added.
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