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Two SLPP MPs supporting separate manifesto unaware of disciplinary action

04 Mar 2022

BY Dinitha Rathnayake  State Minister of National Heritage, Performing Arts, and Rural Arts Promotion Vidura Wickramanayaka and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament (MP) Premnath C. Dolawatte are yet unaware about any disciplinary action being taken against them by the SLPP, after participating in the launch of the separate national manifesto “Taking the Nation On the Correct Path” to solve the economic crisis faced by Sri Lanka. Speaking to The Morning, Dolawatte said that there are media reports that the SLPP’s disciplinary committee will discuss this matter.  “However, I was not informed about any disciplinary action by the party. I don’t think that I have done anything wrong. We participated in the same kind of meeting in 2015 and we did the same this year. It is nothing new. We received an invitation for this as well,” he stated. Wickramanayaka too, speaking to The Morning, said that he was not aware of such a step, and that officially, he has not been informed about the matter. According to media reports, SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam has told the media that the SLPP had not been invited to the event as a party, adding, however, that the SLPP’s disciplinary committee will discuss the matter of two members of the Government participating in the said launch ceremony. A collective of 11 political parties affiliated with the Government was present to launch its national statement titled “Mulu Ratama Hari Magata” and it included the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the National Freedom Front (NFF), the Democratic Left Front, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the National Congress, the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU), the Sri Lanka People’s Party, the Vijaya Dharani National Council, the People’s United Front, and the Yuthukama National Organisation. SLFP Chairman and SLPP MP Maithripala Sirisena said that before the 2020 Parliamentary Election, the Sri Lanka People’s Freedom Alliance was formed and that he was appointed as its Chair, adding, however, that to date, this Freedom People’s Alliance had not met.  “If this is how they want to work, how can we express our views to the Government?” lamented the former Head of State, noting that without dialogue, one cannot solve issues. He said that it is for this very reason that 11 political parties affiliated with the Government were brought to one common platform to raise their issues.  “The Government is responsible for forcing the 11 said parties with 30 MPs to meet separately,” he said while calling on the Opposition to come to the table for a common goal, rather than dreaming about securing power in governance.


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