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SLFP leadership crisis will soon be settled says acting party president
By Chandani Kirinde
Senior politician Dharmadasa Wanniarachchi who was appointed acting president of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) presided at a controversial party meeting on March 9.

He said under the Party constitution it was illegal for SLFP President Chandrika Kumaratunga to appoint someone – without the approval of the party’s central committee -- to act in her place while she was away from the country.

But the 84-year-old Mr. Wanniarachchi whose appointment was unanimously approved by the central committee, said he was confident the SLFP leadership crisis would be amicably resolved in the near future.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr. Wanniarachchi, who is the North Western Province Governor, admitted there were some differences of opinion between former President Kumaratunga and President Mahinda Rajapaksa but these would be easily sorted out and said reports of the minor disagreements have been exaggerated by the media.

When asked as to who would head the party and when a decision to this effect would be taken, Mr. Wanniarachchi who also serves as a SLFP senior vice president said it would have to be after President Kumaratunga returns to the country.

“There are small problems but every party has such problems. Neither Madam Chandrika nor President Rajapaksa are eager to hold on to positions”, he said.
Mr. Wanniarachi claimed he was the one who brought back President Kumaratunga in to the SLFP fold after she had left the party with her late husband Vijaya Kumaratunga in the 1980s.

He lamented that during her tenure as party leader discipline within the SLFP had declined when compared to the high levels maintained at the time of her mother, former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, but said she (Ms. Kumaratunga) had served the party well.

“We have to give credit to President Kumaratunga as it is due to her action to dissolve parliament in 2004 and sack the then UNF government that the UPFA was able to regain office and that move was instrumental in paving the way for Mr. Rajapaksa to become President”, he said.

To a question about the increasing corruption charges against political leaders, Mr. Wanniarachchi said the SLFP as a party was committed to taking stern action if anyone was found guilty of such charges but said he believed the 1978 Constitution was to blame for increased allegations of corruption which has led to an attitude of self-service among most of today’s politicians.

“A politician has to be someone who serves the people, but under the present electoral system, it is only the man with money who can survive”, he said, adding that there was an urgent need to change the present electoral system.
Mr.Wanniarachchi said that the “Mahinda Chintanaya” was similar to the “Bandaranaike Chintanaya” and it would help take the country forward and added he wass confident that with the support of the SLFP and other constituent parties in the UPFA, President Rajapaksa would be able to bring peace to the country and alleviate poverty.

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