More MS-MR talks unlikely

Future talks between President Maithripala Sirisena and ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa have come to a standstill with the two sides failing to compromise on the five main points discussed at their very first meeting.

“There will be no talks between them in the future,” said a pro-Rajapaksa parliamentarian, who requested anonymity.

The first round of discussions was held last week to iron out the issues of the two camps of the SLFP with the hope to unite the party to give it a strong footing at the upcoming election.

“It ended with no hope but deepened the party division more,” he added.

The two groups met after five months to discuss five proposals, including one to name Rajapaksa as the UPFA’s prime ministerial candidate at the forthcoming general elections and another calling for the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division, which comes under the Prime Minister, to be dismantled.

However, the hopes of the pro-Rajapaksa group that the former president would be named as the SLFP’s prime ministerial candidate were shattered, with President Sirisena flatly denying the request saying that naming a candidate ahead of the elections would pose a disadvantage to the SLFP’s vote base.

President Sirisena said that as there was no precedent of the party nominating a prime ministerial candidate, he would refer the proposal to the SLPF Central Committee for further deliberation.

Former Minister and Parliamentarian Kumar Welgama, who initiated attempts to bring the two leaders together, told Daily FT that there would be no meeting between the two in the near future.

“If President Sirisena invited the former President for a meeting, I think he was ready to consider, as he still wants the SLFP to remain united and strong,” he said.

He added that the representatives who took part in the meeting would continue to meet and discuss matters related to the party.

Meanwhile, Parliamentarian and SLFP National Organiser Susil Premajayanth also confirmed that there was no meeting scheduled between President Sirisena and Rajapaksa.

“The delegation which took part in the discussions with the two leaders will continue its dialogue and if necessary will negotiate a meeting with the two leaders,” he said.