SLFP's electoral organisers urge the President to take steps to restore the party

A group of SLFP’s electoral organisers have addressed a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena listing out five suggestions to restore the party to its former glory.

The letter dated January 10 was signed by 10 electoral organisers of the SLFP and handed over to former President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

The group of SLFPers, in the letter had admitted that the party was facing uncertainty for the first time in its history spanning seven decades.

They also pointed out that a certain group of individuals who had acted against the party and served the UNP in the recent past, have formed a new party after breaking away from the SLFP following its defeat at the 2015 Presidential and parliamentary polls.

“This group created a favourable environment for the rival force, to grow” the letter claimed while strongly stating that this cannot be pardoned.

Further, the electoral organisers had also posed questions to President Sirisena. The group had reminded the President of the SLFP’s theme to capture state power in 1994 which read as “A democratic country rid of terror and corruption”.

“Was this not your theme when you contested at the Presidential polls as a common candidate? Didn’t you pledge to respect freedom and democracy unlike any other?” the group questioned.

“The party can be strengthened only by representing the interests of the people” they added.

Five suggestions were then listed out by the group in order to restore the party.

• The party leadership must be given the highest prominence in order to protect the identity of the party.
• Attention must be paid on the damage that can be caused to the party and the country by forming alliances with rascist groups.
• Measures against fraud and corruption must further be strengthened.
• Forming an alliance with the UNP is unacceptable. Similarly, forming an alliance with a party that created a split in the SLFP is also unacceptable.
• The mantle of the party’s leadership must be taken in order to make the SLFP a democratic party which develops a socio-economic work plan in order to move forward with the technologically advancing world.

Accordingly, the group requested the President to make arrangements for a discussion with regard to the party's future.