‘Crossed over members have no political future’

The 16 member group of SLFP Parliamentarians who crossed over to the Joint Opposition have no political future, said Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Wijeyalal de Silva. Addressing a meeting of SLFP activists held at his Ambalangoda Polwatta residence, the Chief Minister said a person indulging in politics should work according to a common agenda rather than personal agendas.

People who worked according to personal agendas had no future in politics. The Chief Minister said, a true party man or woman would stand by the party and its leadership through thick and thin. Except in the case of late Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike all those who broke away from mainstream parties had no future. Only late Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was able to establish himself after breaking away from his party. A large number of people who left the SLFP including late Anura Bandaranaike and Maithripala Senanayake who broke away from the SLFP thought the party would be ruined after their departure but then were proved wrong.

Late Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike’s daughter and son-in-law also broke away from the SLFP. Although the party suffered a temporary setback at that instance it revived after a short period of time.

The Chief Minister said the sixteen SLFP members who broke away from government ranks disliked a majority of Joint opposition members. The public too disliked them.

It was the people who ultimately decided the future of politicians. President Maithripala Sirisena had already announced that he had no intention to retire from politics after the completion of his present term. It was the situation during the 2015 Presidential election which led him to announce that he would retire after his first term.

He made that announcement as a common candidate.

Subsequently he started participating in SLFP meetings. Now he had to bow his head and agree to requests made by party activists.

This may have led him to rethink about retiring from politics.

President Maithripala Sirisena was the only leader who could stand for election above racial or religious bias. President Maithripala Sirisena is the only leader who established democracy in the SLFP once again, he said.