The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is to make a final decision this week on joining the all-party government proposed by Ranil Wickremesinghe.
A senior SLFP source told The Sunday Morning that a majority of the party’s parliamentary group believed that the SLFP should join the all-party government and lead the initiative.
“There are only one or two MPs who are not yet supportive of joining the government,” the source said.
However, the party’s parliamentary group is to meet with Party Leader Maithripala Sirisena this week to make a final decision on joining the government.
When asked about the outcome in the event the party leadership did not agree with joining the government, the source said: “We will then have to make a decision since a majority of the party MPs believe that the SLFP needs to join the all-party government.”
The SLFP has so far held two rounds of talks with President Wickremesinghe, with the last being held on Thursday (4).
At Thursday’s meeting, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had asked Sirisena if the SLFP would be joining the government and the SLFP Leader had responded: “You already have five of our MPs.”
“It seems the party leadership is yet undecided on joining the all-party government, but we need to make a decision fast,” the source noted, adding that such a move would also enable disgruntled Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) members to rejoin the SLFP.
Source: The Sunday Morning