Chandrika and Welgama for Sajith's support!

Chandrika and Welgama for Sajith's support!

Former president Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaika Kumaranathunga and Mr. Kumara Welgama, a vice president of Sri Lanka Freedom Party who functioned as Matugama seat organiser have decided to offer their support to presidential candidate of New Democratic Front, Mr. Sajith Premadasa. It is reported that steps are being taken to announce this to the whole country by having a
special seminar next fifth at Sugathadasa indoor stadium.

Organisers of Sri Lanka Freedom Party, candidates of provincial council elections and members of parliament and some others are expected to join in at this seminar which commences at 2 in the afternoon that day under patronage of former president. Mr. Kithsiri Hettiarachchi, chairman of applicant for candidacy society of Sri Lanka Freedom Party appeared in a press briefing yesterday (29) at elections operations centre of New Democratic Front announced that this seminar would be launched under the leadership of Mr. Kumara Welgama by 'Sri Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya Surekeem Sanvidhanaya'. He also mentioned that 81 electoral organisers of Sri Lanka Freedom Party, 3000 candidates, 1000 MPs totalling fifteen thousand are preparing to attend the occasion.

Mr. Hettiarachchi further said that 9000 candidates from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party contested at the last provincial council elections and a decision has been taken to join hands with Podu Jana Peramuna by party leadership without informing all of them. He also added that all Sri Lanka Freedom Party supporters have been disappointed under these circumstances and that his group has gone into action in providing 7 lakhs of SLFP votes to confirm Mr. Sajith Premadasa's victory at the presidential election this time. He also said that if Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa would be victorious, Sri Lanka Freedom Party would be totally dissolved and that about 14 SLFP organisers who have not understood this have come forward to help Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa gain victory.

Mr. Kithsiri Hettiarachchi who expressed further ideas said, "Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, leader of Sri Lanka Freedom Party appointed Mr. Dayasiri Jayasekera the general secretary of Sri Lanka Freedom Party the latter of whom switched over from the United National Party. They then joined hands with Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna three weeks back. It was without notifying the 9000 who contested on the Sri Lanka Freedom Party ticket that president Maithripala Sirisena did something like that. For having handed over the votes of Pohottuwa Party the 9000 candidates and supporters were highly disappointed. Then after about three weeks later we got organised under the leadership of Mr. Kumara Welgama. We will not allow the party to dissolve as such.

At the moment Mr. Bandaranaika was shot dead on a pool of blood he would never have dreamed that Sri Lanka Freedom Party would separate some day. The responsibility of splitting up Sri Lanka Freedom Party into two should be totally accepted by Dayasiri Jayasekera. When our organisers and candidates step on Mr. Sajith Premadasa's stage in hundreds, two hundreds ... only 14 organisers linked to Pohottuwa were left.

In order to safeguard the party Mr. Kumara Welgama took the decision of holding a seminar on November fifth after informing Mrs. Chandrika. "Shall call together everybody who left Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the seminar would be launched as the organisation shielding Sri Lanka Freedom Party", it was mentioned. In order to confirm Mr. Sajith Premadasa's victory, Advisor Rupa Cumaranatunga, elder sister of former leader of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, Mr. Vijaya Cumaranatunga, Mr. Digambaran Devendra of Eksath Janatha Congress together with members of EPDP, political members of former governor of the East and his supporters joined in this assembly and expressed their ideas.