The SLFP hinted that it would be leaving the SLPP-led coalition and will contest all the upcoming elections through a new alliance. Senior Vice President of the SLFP, Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa stated that those in the SLPP, who charge that coalition governments had collapsed due to differences with coalition partners, would do well to study the historical context.
Prof. Piyadasa mentioned that a political rift had developed between the SLPP and the SLFP, which is the largest coalition partner in the alliance.
He explained that the SLFP was ready to contest all future national polls from a new political alliance and is of the view that without the 1.8 million votes pulled by the SLFP it would have been impossible for the current President to win the last Presidential Poll.
Speaking further, he said that all SLPP backbenchers should desist from pointing the finger at the SLFP and instead devote that time to resolving most of the pressing problems of the people.
He alleged that ahead of the formation of the present Government, the SLFP had consented to three agreements with the SLPP, but lamented the fact that the latter had failed to honour those agreements.
Prof. Piyadasa added that as promised the SLPP had reneged on its promise to hand over the requisite amount of Ministerial, State Ministerial and National List MP posts to the SLFP and charged that all those positions had been arbitrarily taken over by the SLPP.
He remarked that smaller parties, such as the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and a few other coalition parties had suffered a similar predicament at the hands of the SLPP.
Meanwhile, the SLPP backbenchers have reportedly urged the party leadership to take a prompt decision regarding the present conduct of the SLFP, saying that each time political parties had signed pacts with the SLFP such parties had faced political ruination.
They have informed the SLPP leadership that the present Government had assumed power on the promise of prosecuting those responsible for the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
They had stated that in such a situation allowing SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena to remain with the SLPP Government is questionable and they have urged the SLPP leaders to consider the situation deeply.
The backbenchers have also requested their leaders to take action regarding their own MPs who continue to direct virulent criticism at the Government, while enjoying perks and privileges, before things could get out of hand.
They have also decided to discuss these urgent matters more seriously during the next fortnight with a planned meeting with the President and the PM and this was revealed by SLPP MP Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon and confirmed by SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam.