By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

A civil society grouping that backed common candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, at the last presidential election, in January 2015 will unveil today (23) what a senior spokesman called a ‘citizens’ agenda––future path of yahapalanaya’.

SLFP leader President Sirisena is not seeking a second term against the backdrop of powerful breakaway faction styled itself as the SLPP (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) fielding wartime Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa as its candidate.

The National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ), Purawesi Balaya, Left Center and several other organizations will present their agenda at a conference at the Orchid room, BMICH from 3 pm today.

They were among nearly 50 civil society organizations which campaigned for Maithripala Sirisena at the last presidential election. The civil society threw its weight behind the UNP-TNA-JVP-SLMC coalition formed in support of Maithripala Sirisena.

Subsequently, the grouping backed an alliance comprising the UNP, SLMC, ACMC and groups led by Mano Ganesan and Palani Digambaram at the parliamentary election in 2015 August.

NMSJ Secretary Palitha Lihiniyakumara yesterday told The Island that they reached an agreement with the common candidate on Dec 01, 2014 in the run-up to the January 2015 presidential poll. Responding to another query, Lihiniyakumara said that they hadn’t been active at the 2010 January presidential election. “We started in a small way in 2011 and gradually stepped up our activities leading to 2014 agreement with the common candidate.”

Among those invited for the event were senior members of the government, political party leaders, civil society activists, artistes, trade union activists and professionals.

Asked whether the organizers invited political parties represented in parliament and out, including the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Lihiniyakumara said that all were invited. Among the key proposals was the call to abolish the executive presidency to ensure the supremacy of parliament, Lihiniyakumara said, adding that the enactment of the 19thAmendment to the Constitution resulted in the creation in equally powerful power centres.

Lihiniyakumara said that the civil society took into consideration the failures and shortcomings of the current dispensation in preparing the future plans.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday (22) announced plans for a meeting at Sanath Jayasuriya grounds, Matara today (23) at 3 pm to pressure the leadership to declare UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa as its presidential candidate.

Pro-Premadasa campaign got underway on August 12 at Badulla where an influential section of the UNP parliamentary group vowed to ensure the candidature of the UNP Deputy Leader.

A spokesman for Minister Samaraweera said that the Matara meeting was meant to show the path the country should take at the present crucial juncture.

Political sources told The Island that the civil society coalition was basically supportive of the current UNP leadership though party Chairman Minister Kabir Hashim threw his weight behind Minister Premadasa.

Sources said that the UNP factions were still divided over Minister Premadasa’s group demand that there should be consensus on their candidate before the formation of the coalition New Democratic Front. Sources revealed that the top UNP leadership was engaged in talks with the four-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to secure its support against the backdrop of the JVP fielding a candidate of its own. The TNA and JVP backed the candidates fielded by UNP-led coalitions at the 2010 and 2015 presidential polls.

Sources said that presidential aspirant UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe accompanied by senior TNA lawmakers toured the Northern Province where he inaugurated several projects. Responding to another query, sources said that in spite of some internal issues, the majority of the 16-member?????????? parliamentary group solidly stood by UNP leader Wickremesinghe.