brand logo

SLFP backs down, set to attend President meeting

28 Apr 2022

  • Removal of State Ministers Shantha and Raghavan no longer prerequisite
  • We will discuss their removal with Prez at the meeting: Rohana Luxman Piyadasa
  • Dayasiri says decision due to demands by other parties, urgency of national issue
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Backing down from its earlier stance, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday (28) evening agreed to attend today’s (29) meeting convened by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, along with 10 other parties that became independent in Parliament recently, so long as the meeting would not include Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Cabinet of Ministers. This was despite the SLFP Central Committee having decided to not take part in any discussions with the President until SLFP Members and Sri Lanka People’s Freedom Alliance MPs Shantha Bandara and Dr. Suren Raghavan, who recently took over as State Ministers, are removed from their State Ministerial posts. However, during a discussion held at former President, SLFP Leader MP Maithripala Sirisena’s residence yesterday (28) afternoon, it had been decided that the SLFP would attend today’s meeting with the other parties. When contacted by The Morning last evening, SLFP Senior Vice President Prof. Rohana Luxman Piyadasa said that the SLFP had decided to meet with the President. When asked why the earlier stance was changed, he said that the removal of Bandara and Dr. Raghavan would also be discussed at the meeting with the President. SLFP General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said that the decision to attend had been arrived at in consideration of multiple issues. “Due to the requests by the other parties whom the SLFP is working with, and the need to urgently resolve the crisis, we have decided to set aside all other issues,” Jayasekera said, referring to the matters of Bandara and Dr. Raghavan. Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader MP Udaya Gammanpila said that the leaders of the parties are extremely disappointed in the President for granting State Ministerial posts to Shantha Bandara and Dr. Suren Raghavan while discussions were ongoing between the parties and the President. “However, at this moment we have decided to prioritise the national issues above our issues and attend the meeting,” he said.  However, speaking to The Morning yesterday (28) morning, Prof. Piyadasa said: “First, the President gave Bandara a State Ministerial post. Then, he went beyond that and appointed the SLPP National List MP Raghavan as a State Minister. Taking into account these moves, the SLFP’s Central Committee has decided not to take part in any discussions with the President until Bandara and Raghavan are removed from their posts.”  Claiming that giving privileges to members of a certain political party at a time when political discussions are being held with the same party is a violation of the most basic political values, he said that the primary demand of the SLFP is that both of the said State Ministers be removed from their respective posts. “We helped to form this Government as a sister Party. Later, due to the Government’s programme, the SLFP decided to act independently in the Parliament. Also, when an agreement was signed between the SLFP and the SLPP prior to the General Election in 2020, it was agreed to hold discussions with us regarding matters pertaining to the SLFP. However, there was no such discussion prior to giving Bandara and Raghavan State Ministerial posts, which is a violation of all agreements and political ethics,” added Prof. Piyadasa. On 5 April, a total of 40 MPs who represented the SLPP-led Government informed Parliament that they would be functioning independently in the Parliament from that day. Among the said MPs were 26 MPs representing the SLPP and 14 MPs who are Members of the SLFP, out of whom Raghavan and Bandara accepted the posts of State Minister of Higher Education, and State Minister of Promoting the Production and Regulating the Supply of Organic Fertiliser, and Paddy and Grains, Organic Foods, Vegetables, Fruits, Chillies, Onion and Potato Cultivation Promoting, Seed Production, and Advanced Technology Agriculture, respectively. Following their appointments as State Ministers, the SLFP had taken steps to remove both Bandara and Raghavan from all the posts that they held within the SLFP.


More News..