Two Ex-PMs Quit Rajapaksa Group To Join Sirisena
Posted on June 11th, 2015
By
COLOMBO: Two former Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka, D.M. Jayaratne and Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, quit the Mahinda Rajapaksa faction in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and cast their lot with the faction led by Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. On Thursday, Sirisena appointed the defectors Special Advisors (Political)”.
Both Jayaratne and Wickramanayake had signed the opposition’s No Trust Motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who being Leader of the United National Party (UNP), is in conflict with a large section of the SLFP.
The defections are expected to seriously impair the ability of the Rajapaksa faction in the SLFP and the umbrella organization United Peoples‘ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), to press for the No Trust Motion, although it had been signed by 122 of the 225 members of parliament.
Cabinet spokesman, Rajitha Senaratne, told the media on Thursday, that 25 to 35 signatories have already regretted signing the motion. He also stated that the motion would not be taken up for debate until the 20 th.Constitutional Amendment (20A), embodying electoral reforms, is passed. The need of the hour is to pass the 20A and hold parliamentary elections by September as promised by President Sirisena.
Meanwhile, President Sirisena is reported to have told a group of UPFA members that he is not favor of the No confidence Motion against Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.
Senaratne further said that changes to the 20A, as per suggestions submitted various parties, will be considered and a decision taken, at the next cabinet meeting on Friday.
Constitutional Council
In another development on Wednesday, the ruling and opposition parties in parliament decided not to make an issue of appointments to the Constitutional Council (CC) which is meant to appoint the independent commissions including an Election Commission.
Parliamentary endorsement is now assured for all the political and non-political appointees to the CC. However, it was decided that after the parliamentary elections, ministers appointed as representatives of the President and the Prime Minister in the CC will quit, and their places will not be given to any one from the Council of Ministers, to ensure impartiality.
June 11th, 2015 at 3:41 pm
Well done Mr. President ! Now he can be in charge of anti-Kudu commission !
Why don’t you appoint Mervyn Silva to be in charge of anti-Ethanol commission ?
The other old Kukula ( Dayawathie’s Hora Miniha) can be in charge of anti-Prostitution commission.
June 11th, 2015 at 9:53 pm
Let these two old goats R.I.P as they were both out of order now. Sira is trying to break the bones of MR but he will not succeed because MR has the experience,ability and wisdom to overcome any enemy bombs thrown at him. Sira is nothing but a coward and a traitor who with Ranil and Choura will destroy our economy and development and bring our country to knees in front of the world. Anyone who join UNP Gestapo Govt at this stage is a traitor to my Motherland in my view. They are all power hungry,money hungry bandits. Let them get lost who cares.
June 11th, 2015 at 10:04 pm
Lot of voters thought My3 was the hope of the nation, is now lost for words. He is the hope of the enemies. He is trying his best (with enemy advice) to keep Hora PM (acting president) in tact. There will be more bribe giving to put a stop to the No confidence motion when specially the Sinhalese Buddhist voters are watching these unbelievable actions of a village man with disgust.
June 11th, 2015 at 11:49 pm
As I have said a MILLION times, SL politicians and the system CANNOT be trusted to save the nation and the people.
We need REAL patriots.