SLFP protectors to support Sajith | Sunday Observer

SLFP protectors to support Sajith

13 October, 2019

Following the political marriage between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) last week, the Organisation to Protect Sri Lanka Freedom Party (OPSLFP) has decided to form a broad alliance to support the New Democratic Front candidate Minister Sajith Premadasa at the Presidential poll, in a bid to protect the SLFP vote base, the Sunday Observer learns.

OPSLFP Secretary, attorney-at-law Rajika Kodithuwakku told the Sunday Observer yesterday that their political organisation is to launch a new alliance under the name, Sri Lanka Freedom Democratic Alliance (SLFDA) today.

SLFP members who were opposed to the party joining hands with the SLPP created the OPSLFP, in a bid to protect the prestigious party.

“TheSLFP has been mortgaged to the SLPP. Therefore we have no option but to secure the victory of Sajith Premadasa at the Presidential poll to avoid the total submergence of the SLFP in the future. We cannot do this under the OPSLFP. Hence, the formation of this alliance” Kodithuwakku explained.

The Elpitiya local government election ended last Friday handing a landslide victory to the SLPP. While the SLPP bagged 23,372 votes, the SLFP led United People’s Freedom Alliance received 5,272 votes with 3 seats in the Pradeshiya Sabha.

“It shows that the SLFP voters in the village have refused the decision of joining the SLPP. Also, more than 7,000 people have not gone to the polling centres. Under the heavy election campaigning launched by the SLPP in the last couple of days, if those voters are pro-SLPP, they could have voted for them. Therefore, another 7,000 have rejected the SLPP and they will display their sentiment at the Presidential election” Kodithuwakku said.

Meanwhile, former Mayor of the Kaduwela Municipal Council, G.H. Buddhadasa said former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge and all other well-wishers of the SLFP have blessed the new alliance.

“There are more than 100 SLFP electorate organisers who have joined hands with us. More people will join us in due course” Buddhadasa said. Nevertheless, he stressed that the OPSLFP’s main focus is to work for the success of the SLFP in the future. “I am 84 years now. I personally do not want to defeat anybody. We only want to protect this grand party (SLFP) from decaying” he commented.

Asked about the stance of the SLFP stalwart MP Kumara Welgama, Kodithuwakku said, “He is also of the same opinion. He will take the right decision at the right time”.

However, SLFP stalwart MP Kumara Welgama told the Sunday Observer yesterday that he will not support the SLFDA.

“The SLFP was mortgaged to UNP in 2015 and now to the SLPP. Therefore, I am ready to take any leadership to lift this mortgage permanently.

I will focus on re-building the party and will never join Pohottuwa or Swan” he guaranteed.

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