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New alliances in the making and overhaul of party organisers as main parties eye parliamentary elections
View(s):Political parties are gearing up for the upcoming parliamentary elections on November 14.
The political arena is changing, with new alliances being made or existing ones being broken as politicians measure advantages before facing the next elections.
The National People’s Power (NPP) is also eyeing the elections and has stated to fulfil their promises mentioned in the manifesto and take action against corruption.
NPP member Sunil Haduneththi said they are taking forward their campaign, which was planned out two years ago. He added that they have not ended their campaign following Anura Kumara Dissanayaka’s victory as the 9th president of the country.
“We don’t have separate plans for the parliamentary elections, we will take forward the programme in our manifesto, ‘Pohosath Ratak, Lassana Jeewithayak’ (A rich country and a good life),” he said.
He said he is calling on the people to appoint an NPP government so that the President could carry out the promises and plans in the manifesto. Mr. Handunnethi added that the NPP has a good ground team who worked hard for the victory of the party and they would be made parliamentary contestants.
The United National Party (UNP) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) are involved in talks on coming together for the elections but have two opposing ideas.
SJB national organiser Tissa Attanayake told the Sunday Times that they are planning to face the upcoming elections as the Samagi Jana Sandanaya. He said discussions are on with the UNP to face the elections as one group.
According to him, they are holding talks with the UNP to get them to join their alliance.
Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, who is participating in these talks, said that they are willing to extend their support to the SJB. He said even if the SJB fails to agree on facing elections together, they would create an alliance with other groups that supported Mr. Wickremesinghe for the presidential election.
The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is strengthening the party by appointing new youthful members and professionals as electorate organisers, according to the party’s general secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam.
He added their main goal is not to win elections and send members to parliament but to strengthen the party. He said the results showed that many SLPP supporters had voted in favour of president Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Therefore, their main goal is to get the people to accept the policies of the SLPP once again.
Mr. Kariyawasam told the Sunday Times that some politicians who left the party to support other candidates are trying to return, but the party’s ground-level supporters who remained loyal are objecting to such moves.
“We are extremely careful when considering whether to take back the ones who left. The ones with corruption charges would not be welcomed back,” he said.
Meanwhile, SLFP’s General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara, who lead the faction supporting the presidential candidate Sajith Premadsa, said that they would contest parliament elections as the Samgi Jana Sandanaya. He added that the SLFP would settle issues and legal matters within the SLFP after the elections.
A spokesman for Dilth Jayaweera’s Mawbima Janatha Party said the party plans to contest the election under the same name but different symbol.
Janaka Ratnayake, who also contested the presidential election, said that he too plans to contest the elections and has a list of people ready to contest with him.
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