President Maithripala Sirisena is now a man on a mission. The mission being the formation of an alliance between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by him and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by former President, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sirisena is adamant to forge the SLFP-SLPP alliance as soon as possible for several reasons. Key among them is the belief that all former forces of the SLFP could then be brought together and a strong electoral front could be set up to face elections. The name that is being coined for the alliance is the Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Peramuna and a final decision on the alliance symbol has not yet been finalised, although the vast majority of the SLPP membership is not agreeable to a common symbol proposed by the SLFP. It is the view of SLPP Founder and theoretician Basil Rajapaksa that the SLPP is now an established political force, following its victory at last year’s local government elections. It is in this backdrop that United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Dilan Perera said that the SLFP-led UPFA is prepared to contest the next election with a broad alliance even under the “lotus bud” logo (i.e. SLPP symbol). Perera has made this observation at a media briefing held at MP Thilanga Sumathipala’s residence last Thursday (21). He has said the party leaders of the broad alliance formed between the SLFP and SLPP would discuss the matter and arrive at a decision regarding the symbol. Perera noted that they would contest all upcoming elections, including the presidential and provincial council (PC) elections under this chosen symbol. Reiterating a statement made by the President recently, Perera also said it was not the individual that was significant but the right policies and programmes. He has further noted that the political force led by the Sirisena-Rajapaksa duo would win any upcoming election. However, SLFP seniors, MPs Nimal Siripala de Silva, Duminda Dissanayake, Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahinda Samarasinghe, and many others have expressed their displeasure at contesting under the lotus bud symbol. Their stand is that the SLFP should protect its identity and join an alliance without adopting and surrendering to SLPP policies. Be that as it may, Basil told a group of provincial councillors that irrespective of whether the SLFP and SLPP are in agreement or not, the SLPP has the ability to win any upcoming election. A decisive meeting between the SLFP and SLPP leadership was held on Friday (22) night at President Sirisena’s official residence on Paget Road. The SLFP was led by Sirisena and he was accompanied by UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera and several others while the SLPP was led by Rajapaksa as well as coalition party leaders including Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimal Weerawansa, and Udaya Gammanpila. MPs Douglas Devananda and A.M. Athaullah also participated in the meeting. Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Leader MP Arumugam Thondaman had not attended the alliance discussion. The head of the SLPP committee on forming a broad alliance, UPFA MP Dullas Alahapperuma, was also present at the meeting. However, Basil was a notable absentee. Forming an alliance Sirisena and the SLFP group prepared an agenda for the discussion and the main topic for discussion outlined was the formation of the SLFP-SLPP alliance. As soon as the agenda was taken for discussion, Alahapperuma noted that the committee headed by him was concentrating solely on forming an alliance with parties that are already allied with the SLPP. He pointed out that when the SLPP contested the last local government elections, parties that contested under the flower bud banner had not formed an official alliance. Therefore, it was now a priority for the SLPP to form this alliance, Alahapperuma reiterated. A question was then posed by several party leaders on the plight of the proposed alliance between the SLFP and SLPP. Alahapperuma noted that his explanation about the SLPP alliance was not an objection towards any alliance with the SLFP. Contrary to claims made by some media that the SLFP-SLPP alliance is in its final stages, both parties at the Friday night meeting had agreed to appoint two committees to discuss the formation of the alliance. The SLFP has appointed a committee including Party Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara, UPFA General Secretary MP Amaraweera, and former Party Secretary Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa. The SLPP committee is to be decided after a discussion on the matter among SLPP senior leadership and Basil Rajapaksa. The two committees are to hold separate discussions and present their respective proposals to Sirisena and Rajapaksa for a final decision. It is only afterwards that the SLFP and SLPP would hold the final discussion on forming an alliance – its name, symbol, constitution, etc. However, SLFP seniors like Nimal Siripala de Silva, Duminda Dissanayake, Mahinda Samarasinghe, and Faiszer Musthapha had not been present at the Friday-night meeting and their absence was discussed by the SLPP group. The SLPP is of the view that if an alliance is to be sought with the SLFP, it should be done with the consent of all senior SLFP members. Their absence at the meeting was a concern for the SLPP members and they have discussed the possibility of facing obstacles in forming an alliance with the SLFP sidelining most of the party seniors. SLPP cold war The SLPP on the other hand has its share of issues to deal with due to internal clashes over the next presidential candidate. The fact that there are two schools of thought within the SLPP on the next presidential candidate the alliance would back is now evident with comments made in public by members of the SLPP. In fact, these cracks are now beginning to show more than ever. When the SLPP coalition party leaders had met, a heated argument arose between Basil and Gammanpila over the filling of a seat in a municipal council. The latter argued that the parties had in fact arrived at an agreement at the inception and as such should not be the topic at party leaders meeting. However, the former had retorted that this was the forum, citing that he had been discriminated and accorded step-motherly treatment. The debate heated up to the point the former President Rajapaksa had to intervene, countermanding his sibling. “Debate and argue as much as you want here. But do not go out and make statements,” said Rajapaksa senior. However, many feel that the real, underlying reason between the war-of-words between Basil and Gammanpila was that the former had his own hopes of becoming the SLPP presidential hopeful whilst the latter backed his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa. It is also learnt that many SLPP local government representatives who are in the pro-Basil camp believe that Gammanpila, along with Wimal Weerawansa, due to their rabid racist outlook, do not possess any moral right to decide SLPP’s presidential candidate, let alone its future. Many Basil loyalists are infuriated by the public statements made by the duo that Gotabaya and not Basil should become the SLPPs horse in the forthcoming presidential polls. Basil, it is learnt, clearly stated that the SLPP should be mindful not to make the same mistakes that were made during the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, which ultimately resulted in Rajapaksa’s defeat at the 2015 presidential polls. Despite the many “antho jata” and “bahi jata” (issues both within and outside) issues haunting the SLPP, the party is riding strong on the support of the people and is steered mainly by Basil’s campaigning. Many feel that “Gama samaga pilisandarak” (Village Discourse) – a brainchild of Basil – is a major success, possibly making the 2019 Nov/Dec presidential polls a one-horse race, despite the SLPP-SLFP being still undecided of the candidate. In fact, MP Namal Rajapaksa along with Spokesperson to Gotabaya Rajapaksa Colombo Municipal Councillor Milinda Rajapaksha and others travelled to several Middle Eastern countries to meet with the SLPP Youth Front, Women’s Front, and Branch of Kuwait in a bid to obtain views of Sri Lankan expats from the Middle Eastern states. In addition, branches are to be set up in many overseas countries including the US where the SLPP Youth Front in Washington is already in full swing. SLFP reforms The SLFP MPs held a meeting with Party Leader President Sirisena last Thursday (21) at the parliamentary complex. The President, on the occasion, presented appointment letters to several party electoral organisers from the Kalutara and Gampaha Districts. The discussion with the group of SLFP MPs focused on party reforms and the meeting was attended by MPs Nimal Siripala de Silva, Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Dilan Perera, Cader Masthan, Angajan Ramanathan, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, and several others. The discussion focused on the setting up of new party offices in the districts and the plan to be followed. It was then that Dr. Amunugama pointed out the difficulties in carrying out most of the reform work in the absence of Party General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara. Dr. Amungama reminded the group that Jayasekara would require some time to rest and recuperate from his heart ailment. The President then asked the SLFP group to continue with the party reforms programme without Jayasekara. Amaraweera then told the President that the Opposition Leader’s office had informed of a two-day workshop on 9 and 10 March for UPFA MPs at the Earl’s Regency Hotel in Kandy. The President asked Amaraweera to ensure that all UPFA MPs participated in the workshop. PC polls Meanwhile, the continuous clashes between President Sirisena and the United National Front (UNF) Government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are to reach a boiling point on the issue of holding the provincial council elections. The delay in holding the provincial council election has mainly been due to the inability to reach a final consensus on whether polls should be held under the old electoral system or the proposed new electoral system. Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils Vajira Abeywardene was chided by President Sirisena several times over his inordinate delay over the status of the provincial council elections. This has led to Sirisena thinking that the UNP Government is dillydallying with his proposal to hold PC polls under the previous proportional representation (PR) system before 31 May. It is believed that this is because the UNP thinks that, unlike in a presidential election where the party has some hope of winning, the UNP would not have even a slight chance of clinching a grassroots election like the PC poll. When the Cabinet of Ministers convened under the chair of President Maithripala Sirisena last Tuesday, Sirisena inquired from Minister Abeywardene as to the progress of his request to hold PC polls under the previous proportional representation (PR) system before 31 May. Although Abeywardene was given a two-week deadline to submit his observations, nearly two weeks have already lapsed, infuriating Sirisena even more. During the 51-day illegal usurper government, Sirisena got the Rajapaksa cabinet to agree on his proposal to conduct PC polls under the PR system (old system). However, with Ranil Wickremesinghe resuming his premier post, Sirisena was unable to manoeuvre the Cabinet according to his whims and fancies. In addition, the refusal by the Constitutional Council (CC) to appoint several of Sirisena’s nominees to superior courts enraged him, making him go all out against the CC, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), and the UNP. UNP blames SLFP The UNP, in the face of continuous presidential censure on the delay in holding provincial council polls, has now directed the blame back at the Sirisena-led SLFP. The UNP has charged that it was the indecisiveness of the SLFP on the electoral system for the next provincial council elections that led to the delay in holding the provincial polls. Not only the UNP but, as of now, even many citizens believed that Sirisena too was clamouring for PC polls as he jumped on to the SLPP bandwagon. Certain UNPers claim that the PC polls are being delayed not because of lapses on the part of the UNP, but because of the SLFP’s own volition. In fact, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is to have commented that in the event PC polls were held before a presidential election, 90% of the SLFP hopefuls would end in the SLPP. Daya Gamage was to have stated that Sirisena, although being the Head of State and Government, was now acting even worse than a country’s Opposition Leader. Minister Lakshman Kiriella was to have stated that with Sirisena beginning his scathing attack on the Constitutional Council, he had has marked the beginning of the end of the Maithripala administration. On one hand, he would infuriate the Rajapaksa camp if he does not attack the bodies set up by the 19th Amendment, while on the other hand, he’s fast losing the trust and confidence placed in him by the pro-reformist, anti-corruption voter base that stood for democracy and change in the 2015 presidential elections. Many also believe that Sirisena too had to take equal blame for the current political imbroglio as he has been engaged in damaging political rhetoric, claiming that the Government was unable to pay salaries and that banks were collapsing, which not only is untrue but also is highly counterproductive for the already fragile economy. Similarities could be drawn between Sirisena’s irrational statement on banks and the infamous comment made by his predecessor late President D.B. Wijetunga that state banks were going bankrupt which ultimately sent the public at large into panic. Many believe that Sirisena, as the country’s first citizen, should not be so rash and make irresponsible comments which are counterproductive to the economy. Councillors’ woes Meanwhile, the provincial councillors forum informed the UNF Government of the difficulties faced by the former UNP provincial councillors who had represented the six councils that are now defunct. UNP provincial councillors from all the councils except the Northern Provincial Council had recently met Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena at Suhurupaya in Battaramulla and explained the problems faced by them. The problems expressed by the councillors include the lack of funds to carry out development work in their respective provinces, a lack of facilities, difficulties due to the lack of finances, and the delay in holding provincial council elections. A majority of the former and incumbent UNP provincial councillors also noted that while some provincial councillors had been granted duty free vehicle permits, others had not. After discussing all issues at length, the Minister assured that he would take it up with the party seniors and also said that he would prepare a cabinet paper to grant duty free vehicle permits to the councillors who had not received the facility.