• 43rd Brigade signs MoU with New Lanka Freedom Party 
• To form new political force post-LG poll 

The 43rd Brigade and the New Lanka Freedom Party (NLFP), led by independent Opposition MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka and Kumara Welgama, respectively, have come to an agreement to compete together for the upcoming Local Government (LG) election and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard yesterday (16).

Speaking to the media, Ranawaka said regarding the representatives associated with the 43rd Brigade that while they would consider the groups that support the Rajapaksas (a reference to the family of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and incumbent MP Mahinda Rajapaksa) as the common political enemy, they would contest the upcoming LG election individually and/or with some friendly political parties and/or in certain places, as independent groups.

Accordingly, he said that the representatives of the 43rd Brigade will contest selected LG authorities together with the NLFP, and that it (43rd Brigade) will, however, engage in politics through a new political force after the LG election. 

He further said: “We did not form the 43rd Brigade as a political party or targeting elections. However, after the country went into bankruptcy last year, we decided to transform it into a new political party or movement, but we ran out of time for that. Therefore, we hope to form a new political force after the LG election. Today, we signed an MoU and came to an agreement with the NLFP. According to this MoU, the representatives of 43rd Brigade will contest for selected LG Bodies together with the NLFP.”

Noting that the 43rd Brigade has given the freedom to the former LG members and councillors, who are in contact with it to contest from any political party or another movement of their choice or independently, Ranawaka said that it however hopes to work closely with the NLFP in the future. As an initial step, he said that they will contest the LG election together for selected LG bodies, while the two parties will also take action to field their candidates separately for certain LG bodies as and when needed.

Speaking to the media, Welgama said: “In the upcoming LG election, the 43rd Brigade and the NLFP hope to compete together and face the election, and our main hope here is to defeat the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). They have the right to contest the election. We don’t hate anyone and we wish them all the best, but the people hate the SLPP today. 

“The other thing is that we hope to hand over the governance of this country to the youth. We hope to train them in the future. We have never taken an adverse decision affecting the country. Ranawaka always expressed his direct opinions when he was in the Cabinet of Ministers. I was also in that Cabinet. When all the others in the Cabinet, including me, agreed to certain proposals, he stood up against them. He clearly said to note down his objection. 

“It is such leaders who should move forward. When compared to other spineless leaders who are not accepted by the people, he is accepted at a high level. I am happy about the formation of an alliance with him.”

As the LG election is to be held in the coming months, many political parties and groups have formed political alliances. The ruling SLPP and the United National Party of which President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the Leader, are to contest the LG election together. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party also formed an alliance with several other parties, including the Freedom National Congress, the Supreme Lanka Coalition, and with independent Opposition MPs including Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. The main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, has also hinted at the formation of an alliance to contest the upcoming LG election.