Central Committee to decide

SLFP's involvement in Govt:

The SLFP Central Committee towards the end of year will decide whether to continue in the Unity Government or not, State Minister Dilan Perera said.

Addressing the media at the SLFP Headquarters in Colombo yesterday, the State Minister said all 41 SLFP members in the Government would take a united decision after evaluating achievements and setbacks during the past two years.

“There were times, SLFP Ministers and Deputy Ministers met step motherly treatment in the Government. The clash of opinions was not rare. We were disappointed too," Perera said.

"However, our presence in the Government also helped to gain achievements to the country. President Maithripala Sirisena did not become isolated in the Government due to our presence. The SLFP could hold back the UNP in implementing certain decisions that could have been detrimental to the country,” he said.

Asked whether the SLFP would have to continue to support the Government to make sure President Sirisena would not be isolated, Perera replied, “Sirisena is a personality who did highly unpredictable acts. He, who puts the signal lights to left and turned the vehicle to right, may even turn the vehicle left again by putting the signal light to right. He will make sure that he will not be isolated”.

Perera, commenting on SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake’s statement that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would not be given nomination from the SLFP again, said it was an unwarranted statement by the SLFP General Secretary.

“Compared to Mahinda Rajapaksa who is Duminda Dissanayake? Dissanayake is still a baby compared to him. Rajapaksa did not even bother to respond Dissanayake. Dissanayake will not come up with such statements as he acquires more experience as the General Secretary,” he said.

Perera was of the opinion that there is no point in continuing the anti-corruption secretariat, adding that a political hand was behind its operations.