{"id":71941,"date":"2017-11-23T15:39:04","date_gmt":"2017-11-23T22:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=71941"},"modified":"2017-11-23T15:39:04","modified_gmt":"2017-11-23T22:39:04","slug":"should-joint-opposition-work-together-at-the-elections-with-slfp-prez-mahinda-rajapakse-must-not-soft-peddle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2017\/11\/23\/should-joint-opposition-work-together-at-the-elections-with-slfp-prez-mahinda-rajapakse-must-not-soft-peddle\/","title":{"rendered":"SHOULD JOINT OPPOSITION WORK TOGETHER AT THE ELECTIONS WITH SLFP? – PREZ. MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE MUST NOT SOFT PEDDLE!"},"content":{"rendered":"

By M D P DISSANAYAKE<\/span><\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

Having learnt bitter lessons at the hands of Prez Maithreepala Sirisena at the last elections , the overwhelming majority voters rallied behind Prez Mahinda Rajapakse, with a clear understanding that the newly formed PoduJana Peramuna \u00a0will build a new force away from corrupt SLFP, UNP , JVP old guards.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr Basil Rajapakse had stated that there was a popular view that Mahinda lost the election because of Basil.\u201d\u00a0 Then to fill vacuum, Basil said, I will work hard to correct it and bring Mahinda back to power\u201d. Such was a sincere and courageous commitment by a great leader and the best political organiser in the country as at present.\u00a0 He has also been the best Minister of Economic Development Minister, we ever had.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr Basil Rajapakse had worked extremely hard in the past year or so with his own newly recruited new boys and girls, to perform a Hercules task of bringing SLPP as the most leading political force in the country.\u00a0 It is built around the new faces at the grass root level, we understand high quality men and women who contributed to the Community with commitment are enthusiastically waiting for their chance to win the nomination and serve the country under the banner of SLPP. <\/span><\/p>\n

This will be similar to 1956 victory for Mahajana Eksath Peramua, with SWRD, Philip Gunawardene, William de Silva, Ven Bambarende Siri Seewali, Jayaweera Kuruppu, TB Illangaratne, Maithreepala and R G Senanayake,\u00a0 Kalugalle and A P Jayasuriya.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The JVP is also making contacts with SLPP, but Dr Wijedasa Rajapakse, clearly mentioned advancing Rs25 lakhs by the UNP to the leadership of the JVP during last elections. The JVP cannot be trusted,<\/b> if MPs \u00a0such as Sunil Hadunhetti\u00a0 prefer to come forward as a break-away group, that might be favourably considered.\u00a0 But we should never ever have Anura Kumara Dissanayake on SLPP stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is not just a case of winning the Election at any cost, but winning it with \u00a0non-corrupt, educated candidates with a sound standing in the region who will be our new faces as well as future leaders.\u00a0 The discarded, recycled politicians are no longer respected by the average voter.\u00a0 The hundreds of Mahinda supporters who came to his Carlton House, pleading Mahinda to come back to politics, instead of retiring, must be in the MIX of the Candidates.\u00a0 They were true believers of Mahinda as they travelled long distances to meet a defeated candidate.<\/b>\u00a0 These were the NEW FACES who valued the contribution made by their Leader.<\/span><\/p>\n

The SLFP\u00a0 is making all moves to contest the Election with SLPP.\u00a0 SLFP will be trounced with a landslide victory for SLPP.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

If SLPP fight the Election on its own, in line with Basil Rajapakse\u2019s\u00a0 strategies, with the participation of Wimal, Udaya, Sarath Weerasekera, Dinesh (probably Wijedasa Rajapakse) and Maha Sanga, the SLPP victory in the first Election it contest, will bring massive boost or \u00a0inducement for other future Elections at Provisional Council, General Election and Presidential Elections.\u00a0 In the event SLFP is placed THIRD, that will be end of the road for SLFP.\u00a0 The SLFP is now trying to do everything to avoid this embarrassment.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the political landscape changing in this manner, it will ignite an early General Election, at the end of 4 years of current legislature.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, there is a strong case for SLPP to fight it alone and prove its credentials as its Brand Name well positioned to take the leadership status at the National Elections.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without any further delay,\u00a0 we appeal President Mahinda Rajapakse to provide the leadership, instead of adopting a consultative approach of leaving his stand for the majority views of SLPP, Pivithuru Urumaya, Jathika Nidahas Peramuna, NLSSP, LSSP, CP\u00a0 etc.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

We need Mahinda Rajapakse to be the driving force.\u00a0 The days of former Prime Minister D M Jayaratne, John\u00a0 Seneviratne, Susil, Anura Yapa should not be encouraged by providing \u00a0any hope of reunion.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Frankly, the current situation of lack of firm direction from the Top, is unsettling the progress of the SLPP.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 Lack of firm stand by the BOSS is continuing to make die-hard SLPP aspirants nervous and the momentum created with such hardwork could be lost within few days.\u00a0\u00a0 Please do not provide this opportunity to SLFP and the UNP.\u00a0 <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

If this is not possible for any technical reasons unknown to the general public, then give a free hand to Dr Gotabaya Rajapakse and recruit him to lead the first election of the SLPP.\u00a0\u00a0 He will take the mantle forward in an exceptional manner, with no soft pedalling.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By M D P DISSANAYAKE Having learnt bitter lessons at the hands of Prez Maithreepala Sirisena at the last elections , the overwhelming majority voters rallied behind Prez Mahinda Rajapakse, with a clear understanding that the newly formed PoduJana Peramuna \u00a0will build a new force away from corrupt SLFP, UNP , JVP old guards. Mr […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-m-d-p-dissanayake"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71941\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}