• Severing of ties to depend on SLPP decision-makers call    

The State Minister of Technology and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Kanaka Herath said that there is no preparation at the moment for the SLPP members who are backing President and independent Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe in the forthcoming Presidential Election to form a separate political entity.

It was recently reported that the group of SLPP MPs, who are supporting Wickremesinghe, are planning to launch a new political entity.

When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (12), Herath, who is among the said group of SLPP MPs, said that there is no such preparation at the moment. "There are no plans to form a separate political entity at the moment, but, we will have an alliance. There will be a few groups such as the SLPP, the United National Party (UNP), and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in that alliance. That is what I know." In response to a query as to whether they would continue to be in the SLPP, he said: "Right now; yes, but, it all depends on what they (SLPP's decision makers) do."

When contacted by The Daily Morning as to whether the formation of a separate political entity would constitute a breach of discipline within the Party, SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam, said on 11 August that the matter is not something that warrants serious consideration. "The Presidential Election is to be held next month (September). As soon as the new President is elected, he will dissolve the Parliament. So, a Parliamentary Election will have to be held. There is no need to consider these matters seriously."

Following the decision made by the Politburo of the SLPP to field a Presidential candidate of its own instead of supporting Wickremesinghe, the SLPP National Organiser MP Namal Rajapaksa was nominated as the Party's Presidential candidate. However, a significant number of SLPP members including Cabinet and State Ministers and MPs have already expressed their support to Wickremesinghe.