MPs who entered Parliament by contesting elections under the SLFP or UPFA ticket cannot become independent members now. SLFPers who wish to become Independent can do so by contesting separately at the next election, SLFP National Organiser and Irrigation and Water Resources Management and Disaster Management Minister Duminda Dissanayake said.
“Although a section of UPFA members had crossed over to the Opposition when the party was working within the government, their claim to be independent was invalid,” he said.
Minister Dissanayake was speaking to the media after calling on the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chief Prelates at their respective Aramayas in Kandy to brief them on the forthcoming Yala harvesting festival.
The harvesting festival is organised by the Irrigation Ministry for the third corrective year after receiving the blessings of the Cheif Prelates on August 12.
Dissanayake who said that certain sections were clamouring for the Opposition Leader’s post after citing the case where Nimal Siripala de Silva held the post for sometime, added that a once committed historical wrong could not be repeated and taken as an example.
He said Parliamentarian Dilan Perera always had problems with the President rather than with him (Dissanayake). When Perera could not tell anything directly to the President he blamed him (Dissanayake). People did not take the statements that Dilan Perera seriously. He (Perera) had even allegedly threatened to drink poison on behalf of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
He said the SLFP and President Maithripala Sirisena would lead the country even after 2020.
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