SLFP challenges Basil

By Chamodi Gunawardana

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday openly challenged the Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP) and its newest member, former Minister Basil Rajapaksa to try to defeat them in any election. 

Addressing a weekly media briefing, SLFP member and Irrigation and Water Management Minister Vijith Vijayamuni Soysa claimed that that SLPP’s newest and the most prominent member Basil, was responsible for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat in the last presidential election.

“Basil secretly left the country soon after the presidential election results were released. His behaviour automatically indicated that he had accepted the responsibility of defeat of his elder brother by following wrong methods of organising election campaigns,” he said.

Soysa also accused the creators of the new party of attempting to sabotage the unity of the Government.

“Rajapaksa wanted to interrupt the smooth functioning of the Government and he expects he could deceive people by his talk. However, real SLFP members will not allow him to split the party,” he claimed. 

Soysa also said that SLPP has been created at a time when the public has no expectation of Government change.

“SLFP founder late S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike left the United National Party (UNP) to form a new political party at a time when an alternative political party was needed by the people, the public demanded a change. In January 2015 we had a similar revolution and another one is not required,” he said.  

When reporters questioned why the Central Committee of the SLFP is still showing a delay in taking disciplinary actions against the SLFP Joint Opposition members, who are likely to become members of the new party, Soysa said that taking action against them would be disadvantageous to the SLFP.