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SLFP moves to revive UPFA, PA amid growing rift with ruling alliance
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is working towards reactivating the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the People’s Alliance (PA) with the aim of forming a broad front as it increasingly tries to distance itself from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a senior party member said.
SLFP Vice Chairman Rohana Luxman Piyadasa told the Sunday Times yesterday that talks had already begun with parties represented in Parliament and even parties not represented in Parliament. The idea of reactivating the UPFA and the PA was first discussed at the SLFP’s Central Committee (CC) meeting several weeks ago following talks between a group of Government coalition parties which were opposed to the sale of Yugadanavi power plant shares to a US-based company.
The UPFA and the PA are already registered with the Election Commission, with Mahinda Amaraweera being the UPFA General Secretary and Lasantha Alagiyawanna the PA General Secretary.
As a first step, a meeting of parties that earlier came under the UPFA banner was convened, followed by wider discussions with minor political parties that are not represented in Parliament, Prof. Piyadasa said.
He, however, said the focus for now was not on any election. “The Government is yet to call an election and we don’t know when one will be held. Our focus now is on reactivating this alliance and moving forward to form a strong, broad front.”
The SLFP has been increasingly at loggerheads with the SLPP over the past few months. All SLFP MPs, including party chairman and former President Maithripala Sirisena, voted with the Government on Friday to pass the Budget, but tensions continue to play out publicly, with accusations flying back and forth between the two sides.
During a media briefing in Kandy yesterday, Prof. Piyadasa lashed out at the SLPP over the “arrogant attitude” it displayed towards other coalition partners from the earliest days of the Government. “The repercussions of this attitude are being felt today. The country is plagued by many social issues and the people are wondering whether they have a leader they can trust,” he remarked.
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