Opposition common front and common symbol finalized- Ranil instructs from U.K.; Mathripala fires first salvo at regime

(Lanka-e-News- 05.Oct.2014, 3.55PM) The opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who attended the Britain’s conservative party annual convention on the 2nd of September left for Sri Lanka after his tour on the 4 th evening . Meanwhile a number of rounds of decisive discussions had also been held in connection with the formation of a common opposition front, according to reports from our foreign correspondents in Britain .

These discussions had been successful , and a decision has been arrived at for a common front with a common party symbol for the next Presidential elections with the concurrence of all the parties of the opposition . In this connection the opposition leader has given instructions from Britain itself to his party what must be done by them towards this end.

Accordingly , measures have been taken to go ahead with the opposition front already before the Elections commissioner. Answering Lanka e news , the opposition leader just before leaving Britain said , he cannot elaborate on this right now, and quipped that he has an affinity to make statements to the media secretly .

In any event in spite of the successful discussions for a common front , two issues have not been ironed out. Issue one : If the Executive Presidency is to be abolished within 6 months of appointment of new President , should opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe take over that role ? This is because , Wickremesinghe who has the ability to rebuild the country , has to be the Prime Minister under the new constitution of an elected government. Second issue : Based on the proposals of the UNP, under the new constitution , whether the Prime Minister has to be appointed via a separate election ? It is the view of the party members , that would be another controversial muddle akin to the present like the Presidency.

Although, further discussions are necessary in this regard these do not have any impact on the decision taken for a common symbol and a common front to defeat Mahinda Rajapakse . Meanwhile speculations are rife that if the holy Pope is visiting Sri Lanka (SL), the Presidential elections may have to be postponed which means that the auspicious Presidential election date that is favorable to Mahinda based on astrological calculations will be rendered difficult to follow. Holy Pope’s arrival is militating against the date fixed by astrological calculations, since it is the Papal tradition that the holy Pope does not arrive in a country where an election is about to be held or just after the conclusion of an election in the visiting country.

In the circumstances , according to MaRa’s horoscope , if he is to hold the election to suit the astrological calculate on the non arrival of holy Pope is imperative . Otherwise , the elections must be postponed until March. It is learnt that MaRa flew suddenly left to the Vatican on this account to make a final decision. Basil who extended the invitation and his organizers connected therewith are now dazed and perplexed . To compound the confusion , the SLFP party has still not made an official announcement pertaining to a snap Presidential election.

Usually before a Presidential election ,the SLFP executive committees should jointly meet and arrive at a decision , but that has still not happened. Only one thing took place , that is Basil summoning all the SLFP organizers to the Temple Trees and announcing at the meeting , they will have to gear themselves for an ‘important election’ in the future. Although Basil concealed the possible Presidential election while at Temple trees , in the notifications distributed among the organizers prior to the meeting , the prospective Presidential elections was mentioned. The organizers who were baffled speaking in whispers said , Rajapakses themselves are now contradicting each other and not sure what they are going to do, and where they are headed.

It is significant to note that , it was a very small group of SLFP organizers who attended the meeting convened by Basil , and they remained tight lipped . They were reluctant and reticent when it came to expressing what they are going to do at the next Presidential election.

To make matters worse for the already wobbly Rajapakse regime , as though to further shake it at its very foundation , the SLFP general secretary Maithripala Sirisena had fired the first salvo by addressing a letter to MaRa by asking in it , when there are two more years officially for the Presidential elections why this sudden haste to hold elections ? There are so many promises given to the people at the last presidential elections which are still remaining hollow. Hence it is best those unfulfilled promises are honored before going for elections prematurely, he had pointed out in his letter .

It is implied in Maithripala’s letter that Medamulana MaRa is seeking elections ahead of time because of family’s power obsession and loss of equilibrium within , and not in the best interests of the SLFP party he represents , which has not concurred in that decision.

Answering queries posed by Lanka e news in this connection from the SLFP trade union leaders , they lamented , now the Rajapakses are conducting elections not with the support of the SLFP trade unions , but rather with that of Namal’s Nil Balakaya. This group knows nothing about politics except go under the cover of night in Defender vehicles and shoot at opposition party members , and this was largely contributory to the government’s debacle at the recent Uva elections, the SLFP union leaders told Lanka e news.