SLPP-SLFP submit application to register coalition

 SLPP and SLFP will contest the upcoming General Elections as the Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandanaya under the Flower Bud (Pohottuwa) symbol. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam and SLFP General Secretary State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara share a light moment following the announcement of the decision - Pic by Shehan Gunasekara 

• Nine party alliance to be called Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandanaya (SLNPS) 
• Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, Chairman Maithripala Sirisena 
• General Secy. Basil Rajapaksa and National Organisers Dayasiri Jayasekara and Wimal Weerawansa 

By Nuwan Senarathne   

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) ironed out their differences yesterday and forwarded an application to the Election Commission to register a new alliance under the Flower Bud symbol to contest the upcoming parliamentary election.

The nine-party alliance to be called the ‘Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandanaya (SLNPS)’ will be led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa while its Chairman will be former President Maithripala Sirisena. The General Secretary of the Party will be former Minister Basil Rajapaksa. The National Organisers of the SLNPS are MP Dayasiri Jayasekara and Wimal Weerawansa.

Other officers’ bearers are MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena (Deputy Leader) SLFP MP Mahinda Amaraweera (Deputy Secretary) and MPs Udaya Gammanpila, Tissa Vitharana, D.E.W. Gunasekera and Vasudeva Nanayakkara. 

SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam and SLFP General Secretary and Industries State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara submitted the application to register the new coalition at the Election Commission.  

After submitting the application for registration, Jayasekara told media that nine other parties which had backed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during the Presidential Election were also included in the alliance apart from the SLFP and the SLPP.

“We are expecting to discuss the basic structure of the coalition in the coming days with the participation of all political parties. Everything can be negotiated to contest the upcoming election as strong coalition,” he said.

Jayasekara said the main party of the coalition would be the SLPP and it was signed first in the application submitted to the Election Commission, followed by the SLFP, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and other parties.

SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said the coalition would work as a group to win the upcoming General Election.