Thilanga divided SLFP: Navin

Thilanga Sumathipala was responsible for dividing the SLFP by giving a dead rope to its membership saying a large number of UNP parliamentarians would back the No Confidence Motion (NCM). Had there was no such conspiracy, S.B. Dissanayake could have been a front runner for the next Presidential election, Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake was addressing the media after he called on the Most. Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter at the Malwatte Temple in Kandy and received his blessings recently.

Dissanayake said he knew that a large number of SLFP Parliamentarians would fall in trouble if Sumathipala supported the NCM. Today the SLFP was divided into two segments and a large number of its membership had fallen in trouble because the NCM flopped.

Dissanayake said the 16 SLFP members who voted in favour of the NCM did so to join the SLFP. However, others in the SLFP had made a good decision by no presenting in Parliament. Dissanayake said a vast majority of people still detested Rajapaksa family members as expressed by almost 55 percent of voters at the last election. He said the government had steered the country towards a better track by stabilising democracy and ending fear suspicion and the white van culture.

He said he discussed several economic, political and social problems confronting the country with the Malwatte Prelate, who had a broad idea about such problems facing the country.

The Prelate was of the view that political reforms should be undertaken on a priority basis. Problems were common in any democratic political party and the UNP was no exception.

However, the UNP was way ahead of other political parties in its organisation and public appeal. The UNP. being a moderate right wing party, could not introduce radical reforms in a hurry. The party should strengthen its Sinhala Buddhist foundation.

The UNP lost many of its leaders with LTTE terrorism, he said.