Are The SLFP CC Members Naive & Day Dreaming?
By Gamini Jayaweera –March 31, 2016
Gamini Jayaweera
The SLFP rebel members well supported by the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the “Gang of Four” namely Dinesh, Vasu, Wimal, and Udaya are ignoring and violating the official instructions, warnings, and deadlines given by the SLFP Leadership and the Central Committee on several issues which are detrimental to upholding the discipline and the unity of the party. The warning letters issued by the General Secretary of the SLFP based on the decisions taken by the Central Committee, were torn or burnt by the rebels in public thus humiliating the leadership and the CC of the party. The negative response exhibited by the SLFP rebel members for the recent announcement made by the SLFP CC banning the SLFP members’ participation in the anti-government rally at Hyde Park organized by the “Joint Opposition” need to be dealt with promptly and authoritatively, if the SLFP wants to survive as a major political force in the country. As Lance Armstrong said, “There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say: Enough is enough.”
Pre-Rally Warnings
On Sunday 13 March, the General Secretary of the SLFP Mr. Duminda Dissanayake publically declared that all SLFP MPs including the former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa had been informed that they would be barred from attending any meetings, rallies, conferences or discussions that were not organised by the SLFP. He went on to inform the media that the ban would also be applied to the forthcoming anti-government rally scheduled to be held on 17 March.
On 16 March, the Treasurer of the SLFP and Social Empowerment & Welfare Minister Mr. S. B. Dissanayake publically warned the SLFP parliamentarians that they could lose their parliamentary seats if they would attend the “Joint Opposition’s” rally at Hyde Park on 17 March. He went on to say “The SLFP Central Committee has taken a decision that no SLFP member should participate in a meeting or rally organised by other parties other than the SLFP without prior permission from the party,”.
