Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will consider it a welcome move if the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) decides to contest separately at the upcoming general elections, Minister of Plantation Industries and Export Agriculture and Co-Cabinet Spokesman,
Dr Ramesh Pathirana said.
In an interview with the Sunday Observer, the Minister said, by contesting alone both, the SLFP and SLPP will be able to secure their own vote base.
“It is a good decision, because in certain districts if the SLFP contests separately they should be able to get a couple more seats than contesting under one front. Then it will be a competition among the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, United National Party and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna” Minister Pathirana explained. “Subsequently after the general elections, they can join us and form a coalition government,” he added.
Media reported last week that the SLFP is eying the possibility of contesting separately at the general elections following the rejection by the SLPP to give them co-chairmanship of the joint front and thirty per cent representation of the nomination list.
Polonnaruwa MP and State Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has also, reportedly, protested against former President Maithripala Sirisena being nominated to contest under the SLPP ticket.
However, SLFP General Secretary and State Minister of Industries, Dayasiri Jayasekara told the Sunday Observer yesterday that the SLFP has not yet decided to contest alone at the general elections.
“There are certain people who do not want to see President Gotabaya Rajapaksa having a strong Parliament.
People of the country should identify such people who work against our unity,” he said.