Gossip Lanka News [English]

AFTER REJECTION IN THE NIGHT, MAHINDA GROUP THINKS OF ....
ACTIVATING PLAN B TO GRAB SLFP POWER ...
AND LATER DROPS IT!

It is the opinion of political critics that a decisive change would take place in the forthcoming General Elections depending on whether former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will contest from the UNFP under the SLFP leadership or from another Party.

Because of this reason everyone is anxiously waiting to know how he would come forward. The discussion that President Maithripala Sirisena was involved in last night with other Parties of the Alliance ended up with a Red Light in this connection. But an alternate programme which would bring success against it was suggested by the Mahinda faction. What was reported this morning was that it has later been been abandoned because it would lead to legal issues. The Jathika Hela Urumaya has not participated at last night's discussion. All other Party leaders connected to the Alliance have joined in this discussion.

One of the points that had emerged on this occasion was that a nationalistic disadvantage could spring up by enabling Mahinda to contest and that the minority Party votes would go to the UNP. An argument that the minority Parties had rejected Mahinda at the last General Election provided an example to this. The counter-attack, 'no .... Mahinda now has a big public backing .... we should make use of it', received a humourous reply from the President in respect of that idea. What he had said was that those around him (the former President) now are not a sign of genuine public backing. He had also pointed out that if that sort of thing was there in the public he would not have been able to clinch the victory on January 8th at the Presidential Election. The President had explained that the true backing is not portrayed by the very same crowd being taken to every place and that the President got duped by it.

In the process, another topic that had caught the attention during the discussion was the group who are round him constantly demanding for him. Since Mahinda had said that he would not come without them, the President in turn had categorically said that there is no possibility of giving nominations to those who were notorious for cheating and corruption and because they were despised at the last election he got the votes and that he does not want to bring those people who were scorned once more to the platform. As such the Chairman of the Alliance and the SLFP the President Mr. Maithripala Sirisena had decided in the end not to give an opportunity to Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa and his clan to come forward from the SLFP or United National Freedom Alliance at the General Election. When leaders of the Party had made a request to reconsider this decision he had said that he would once more discuss this point with representatives of the Freedom Party and announce the final decision today (3) in an official manner. However the discussion ended on a note free from any sort of trust that Mahinda would be afforded any chance.  

Under these circumstances the dejected Mahinda faction had proceeded last night to former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa's home in Mirihana and had once more begun another discussion and G.L. Pieris, Dinesh Goonawardena, Bandula Gunawardena, Wimal Weeravansha, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, T.B. Ekanayaka, Pavithra Wanniaarachchi, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Y.G. Padmasiri and former parliament members , former Minister of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Udaya Gammanpila, Watinapaha Somananda Thero and others were present on that occasion. A dialogue had ensued there about a second strategy of grabbing power across the SLFP Executive Committee. Through that process though the Mahinda faction is able to confirm power of the United People's Freedom Alliance, in the end it was decided not to put it into motion as a legal crisis could crop up in such a case. Therefore it was their final decision that it would be a better option to leave the Alliance. Legal experts had explained to the crowd there about the adverse legal implications that could spring up if the Mahinda faction was to launch the second plan and get control over the Alliance. Arguments were brought forward that even if nominations were forwarded through the Alliance after acquiring the authority of the Alliance, those nominations could be rejected. Therefore instead of taking a risk of the possibility of nominations being rejected, the Mahinda faction had thought of dismissing the second plan. It was decided to contest separately by leaving it which was the third proposition.

Whatever it is, a group of senior leaders of the Freedom Party had met leaders of the Alliance this morning (3) at 10 at the Secretariat and an executive committee meeting of the Freedom Party has been summoned, it is reported, and it was said that a change in the conditions of the President would emerge.  

The former President Mahinda's group is expected to meet this evening at the Abhayarama and their final decision will be announced to the media and if the Mahinda faction is to contest separately, that Party and the symbol concerned would be notified on that occasion.