UPFA minority parties unhappy over SLFP deal for national govt.

Tuesday, 24 February 2015 01:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Jayashika Padmasiri The minority parties of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) yesterday expressed their displeasure over the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) decision to support a national government. UPFA left-wing politician Vasudeva Nanayakkara, speaking to Daily FT, said that if the SLFP was going to consent to the concept of a national government it showed that they were surrendering to the United National Party (UNP). “If such a decision is taken it shows that the SLFP is distancing itself from its challenging powers and surrendering to the UNP. As a result of this, people will abandon the SLFP,” he said. However, when questioned whether they were going stick with the UPFA if they decided to support a national government, Nanayakkara warned that until they were around such a decision could not be taken. UPFA MP and Lanka Sama Samaja Party stalwart Tissa Vitharana, speaking about the creation of a national government, refused to comment on the matter saying that he was still unaware of whether the SLFP has actually taken such a decision or whether they were just holding discussions about it. UPFA Western Provincial Councillor Udaya Gammanpila, speaking about the situation, told the Daily FT that if the SLFP was going to go ahead with the idea of forming a national government, the UPFA would be destroyed and the SLFP would be committing political suicide. “Establishing a national government will strengthen Tamil separatism in the country, pave the way for the 13th Amendment Plus to become active while helping the LTTE to rise again in the international community. Then the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) would become the main Opposition in Parliament while the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will become the main Opposition party in the country as the TNA is only a regional ethnic party. So we will fight to defeat the formation of a national government and we request the UPFA leaders to give us an opportunity soon to speak to them about the disastrous consequences of this move,” Gammanpila said. Speaking further he added that they were confident that the SLFP MPs would be convinced by them as nobody wanted to commit political suicide.

Hubby follows wife: CID summons Wimal

National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader and former Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Wimal Weerawansa was summoned yesterday to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to record a statement.

Weerawansa’s appearance was made following his wife’s arrest on Sunday by the CID. After giving the statement, Weerawansa addressing the media outside the CID premises rejected the allegations made against his wife. “It is a complete lie. My wife does not possess a fake diplomatic passport and I will prove that she is innocent in courts. ‘Yahapalana’ officials are acting in this manner because they got nervous after seeing the huge turnout at the Nugegoda rally. That is why they are making these various attempts to try and end my political career. Next they will make allegations against my children as well,” he said. Yesterday Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya permitted the CID to obtain a report from the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) on the health condition of Weerawansa’s wife Shashi Weerawansa, who was arrested while she was admitted to a private hospital in Malabe. Weerawansa was summoned by the CID yesterday in order to record a statement in connection with a complaint lodged by the Kaduwela Mayor H.A. Buddhadasa in 2011.