By Noor Nizam, Peace and Political Activist, Political Communication Researcher, SLFP Stalwart and former SLFP District Organizer,Trincomalee District, Convener – The Muslim Voice. January 21^st., 2016.

 For Communication academics and professors, they accept that THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE”. This theory of media definition created by Marshall McLuhan in explaining the concept of Media is well detailed in the relevant chapter in the text book Introduction to Communication 3rd Edition. Dubuque, OH: Kendall-Hunt. 2013. For freelance journalists

who are patriotic and nationalist, and blocked by the gate keepers of the national print and some electronic media, lankaweb.com has always been the MEDIUM” that carried our MESSAGE” always, respecting the codes of free expression and conducts of ethics for journalism, which many media in Sri Lanka have failed to practice. Lankaweb.com has to be commended for this. That is why, I hope that the President’s Media Advisor or Director
Presidents Media will also relay this article/comments to HE. President Maithripala Sirisena because this article/comments will not reach the years/eyes of President Maithripala Sirisena, other thanreading the lankaweb.com.

The views and opinion expressed by Parliamentarian Dilum Amunugama on Thursday 21^st, evening at a press conference held by the Joint Opposition” is the exact situation with regards to the forthcoming local government elections and the SLFP. Be it the SLFP or the Sandanaya” votes, it
is the votes of the majority Sinhalese voters who polled in Mahinda Rajapaksa
at the Presidential Elections February 8th., 2015 and the General
Elections in August 17th., 2015.

If the SLFP or UPFA or any new SLFP/Left/Socialist group hopes to win the forth coming local government elections this year, they can only regain all the local bodies that were under their (UPFA/SLFP) control if they are able to get the 5,768,090 block votes that President Mahinda Rajapaksa polled at the Presidential elections in January 8th., 2015 voted in favour of the SLFP/UPFA/Sandanaya or Akaabadavipaksaya candidates at the forth coming local government elections. With the Enrique disaster and the stand taken by HE. Maithripala Sirisena showing the statesmanship of standing up to defend the “Integrity, Culture and dignity of a Nation”, calling for stern action and probing the fraud, the SLFP/UPFA/Sandanaya or Akaabadavipaksaya candidates can even wing the Colombo municipal council elections.

MP Dilum Amunugama’s obsevations and political communication analysis has to be commended in the manner in which he has presented facts at the press conference referred. Though being a new and young politician, he has already shown “his class” as an up and coming political leader of the SLFP in the future.

What the SLFP/UPFA vote bank is asking of HE. Maithripala Sirisena is to ENTRUST the Leadership” of campaigning of the SLFP local government election this year to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. HE. President Maithripala Sirisena will and can remain the Leader of the SLFP as long as he wishes and even contest the next Presidential elections as he is eligible to contest twice in accordance with the 19th., amendment to the constitution. Many SLFP former ministers and UPFA politicians who have rallied around HE. Mathripala Sirisena NOW will advise the President Sirisena to break away from this reality. They maybe promising the heaven and earth” that they can bring the SLFP votes to any group President Maithripala Sirisena will finally lead without the Mahinda pila”, but that will NOT be the TRUTH.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was screwed” by such promises made by one such Muslim Politician who became a so-called SLFPer (coming from the CWC) during the last
Colombo Municipal Council – 2011 elections and was somewhat the campaign manager to Milinda Morogoda who was the Mayoral SLFP nominee. Milinda Morogoda lost the mayoral elections wholesale”. It is in the interest of such a thing NOT happening to HE. President Maithripala Sirisena, that the young politically knowledgeable, vigilant and energetic UPFA parliamentarian Dilum Amunugama has made these observations. I as an SLFP stalwart since 1969 and a former SLFP District Organizer – Trincomalee District, taking a very active and involved role in the political activities and election campaigns of the SLFP/UPFA, as a force and a Muslim SLFP supporter, from behind the scene and recently being a Media Committee Member of the UPFA election campaign August 2015, fully endorse the statements made by Parliamentarian Dilum Amunugama. HE. President Maithripala Sirisena who is a veteran in politics has to LISTEN to what this young SLFP politician is saying.