• IMF releases fourth tranche after third review, concerns over social spending; fourth review to start
• Govt. blames IMF agreement, four news acts, agreements with multilaterals by RW for difficulties
• Queues return to haunt public on Friday as Petroleum Dealers’ Association refrains from making orders
• Second reading of 2025 Budget passed with majority of 109 votes; SJB claims Govt. turning to loans
• Opposition pushes threat to national security; Bimal says underworld disgruntled without Govt. links
• AKD addresses House as Defence Min.; slams political patronage for organised crime gangs in the past
• Revelation of 73 T-56 weapons missing from Army camp, 38 still missing; probe on missing guns halted
• AKD says north and east also targets; says conspiracy at play, all organised gangs acting simultaneously
• Proposed 15% tax on service exports gathers criticism; Govt. asks if opposed to paying taxes or amount
• Chathuranga, Anil explain new tax; Sunil says does not agree with new tax, says Finance Ministry push
• After President’s Fund, compensation for burnt houses, Harini reveals ex-presidents’ tour expenses
• MR gets first place as highest spender followed by RW; questions of Rs. 1.8 m spent by AKD so far
• AKD plans visit to Japan as fourth official tour; Japan focuses on long-discussed digitisation programme
• Talk of Modi’s impending visit to Sri Lanka likely to coincide with 120 MW Sampur solar plant launch
• JVP grows from anti-Indian party to one aware of geopolitics; Sampur project filled with ironies for JVP
• Group of NPP MPs, families finding it hard due to JVP’s strict discipline code; around 15 looking to quit
• JVP seniors discuss growing issues among NPP MPs; 107 out of 159 MPs are NPPers, only 52 JVPers
• If NPP MPs quit their seats, next in line to enter the House are JVPers; JVP lot would increase in the House
• RW travels to India for private visit; security issue during RW’s return flight to Colombo from Oman
• SJB-UNP alliance talks on hold; SJB reformists split into 3 groups, some looking at aligning with UNP
• CBK, Maithri meet to discuss SLFP’s future; alliance talks continue among SLFP, SLPP, Sarvajana Balaya
• Mahindananda to rethink plan to retire from politics; SLPP dissidents to form new party for future

That the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) Government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has many fires to douse in order to ensure smooth governance is evident by the range of issues it faces. 

These issues range from economic issues related to the Government’s maiden 2025 Budget and policies outlined in it, to the increasing activities of organised crime gangs resulting in shootings and killings, with the latest being the need to ensure a steady supply of fuel to the public given the decision of the Petroleum Dealers’ Association to refrain from ordering fuel for islandwide distribution from midnight on Friday (28 February) over the curtailment of a 3% commission that was earlier paid to them by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). The latter resulted in long queues outside fuel stations on Friday night, with the public engaged in panic buying despite assurances by the CPC that there was no fuel shortage in the country.

On the economic front, President AKD and his JVP/NPP Government, it is learnt, blames several legal impediments that have been in place since last year as the cause for the restrictive nature of the 2025 Budget, especially on matters related to revenue generation and providing tax relief to the masses.

Several pro-Government analysts have pointed out that the main impediment straddling the JVP/NPP Government has been listed as the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that was signed by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Government without presenting it to Parliament prior to finalisation.

The other impediments for the Government have been listed in the form of four acts that were implemented by the former Wickremesinghe Government in 2024 – the Economic Transformation Act, the Public Financial Management Act, the Public Debt Management Act, and the Banking (Amendment) Act. Apart from these, several agreements reached with multilateral financial institutions had also posed several challenges to the Government.

However, the JVP/NPP Government received some respite on Friday with the IMF’s announcement that the fund’s Executive Committee had completed the third review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement, allowing Sri Lanka to draw about $ 334 million.

The latest tranche disbursement was initially due last October, but was delayed due to the holding of two national elections.

The IMF has however expressed some concern over social spending, stating: “Programme performance has been strong with all quantitative targets met, except for the indicative target on social spending.”

It has also been noted that the country’s economy is still vulnerable and that sustaining the reform agenda is critical to put the economy on a path towards lasting recovery and debt sustainability.

The Government, it seems, has to ensure the further consolidation of economic principles when facing the upcoming fourth review by the IMF.

Second reading vote

Meanwhile, the second reading vote of the 2025 Budget was held at 6.10 p.m. on Tuesday (25 February) and was passed in Parliament by a majority of 109 votes with 155 votes cast in favour and 46 votes against it. Four Government Members of Parliament (MPs), including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath (attending the UNHRC sessions in Geneva), were absent during the vote.

The Government took many swipes at the Opposition during the Budget debate, with Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake using a cricket analogy to illustrate his dismissal of the Opposition’s criticisms as inconsistent and exaggerated.

Likening the Opposition’s criticisms to slow bowling in cricket, he said that the bowling action was baffling. “They (Opposition) run like Michael Holding or Sugath Thilakaratne, but the delivery is slow. In slow motion… fast running, slow bowling,” Rathnayake claimed.

He also called on Opposition MPs to watch Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s movie ‘Taare Zameen Par’ to understand the plight of children with special needs, whom the Government has included in this year’s Budget.

Meanwhile, the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) claimed that the Government was looking at bridging a Rs. 2.2 trillion budget deficit by taking more loans.

SJB MP S.M. Marikkar claimed in Parliament: “Previous governments have often been criticised for borrowing to govern the country. According to the latest Budget proposed by the Government, there is a deficit of Rs. 2.2 trillion. The Government is trying to bridge the gap by borrowing Rs. 75 billion in foreign loans and Rs. 2.125 trillion in local loans. This is equivalent to borrowing $ 7.3 billion.” He further claimed that over the past 76 years, Sri Lanka had accumulated a total foreign debt of $ 95 billion.

National security push

Be that as it may, apart from the shortcomings in the 2025 Budget presented by the Government, especially in providing the promised relief to the masses, Opposition parties have picked national security as the agenda to push anti-Government sentiments among the public.

National security has served as an attractive slogan for some political parties in the past, especially those surviving on an ultra-nationalist agenda. For many years it was the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and later, following the end of the war, it was talk of the LTTE’s re-emergence that was used as the slogan to win elections.

In 2019, following the Easter Sunday attacks, national security became the platform on which former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa campaigned and won the Presidential Election that year. However, it is noteworthy that the elements that had assumed power using the national security platform have faced massive defeats at the hands of the masses, with one President even being forced out of office in just two-and-a-half years.

The fact that leaders of organised crime gangs operate with political patronage is no secret to the public, which also possesses knowledge of the crime leaders – some who are not among the living – and their connections to leading political figures since 1977. Presidents and governments since then have had affiliations to organised crime leaders, especially when it came to suppressing dissent and silencing those whom these political leaders deemed as enemies.

Minister Rathnayake last week made an interesting statement in the House. He said that members of the underworld were disgruntled at present since they were unable to make connections with the incumbent Government.

The recent spate of shootings and killings have exposed the operations of several organised crime gangs as well as revenge killings.

It is in such a backdrop that President AKD decided to make the response speech on the debate on the defence budget in his capacity as the Defence Minister. AKD told Parliament on Friday evening that the Government would ensure that the crime state that had been operating under the de jure state would be wiped out. 

He further explained that if anyone were to name an underworld figure, he could name the political figure they were affiliated to. “This is no secret. These gangs were strengthened under political patronage. When one goes and says ‘Amare calm down, I have come,’ Amare comes out. These are indications of who had fed the organised criminals. Now these very people are shedding crocodile tears,” he said.

The President further revealed that 73 T-56 weapons had gone missing from one Army camp and had been given to the underworld. “Out of these weapons, 35 have been taken back into custody, but there are 38 more to be retrieved. This incident had taken place before this Government took office. Although there was an investigation launched at the time, it was halted on the directives of some powerful people at the time,” he said.

AKD noted that there was a conspiracy behind the sudden activation of all organised crime gangs in the country. “All organised crimes have become activated at the same time. We have identified two other areas where these gangs could become activated. One is Batticaloa and the other is the north. These gangs can be operated from the outside. Therefore, we believe that there is some organised conspiracy behind the manner in which these gangs have become active,” the President claimed in Parliament.

Popularity survey

Amidst all these developments, the Government’s approval ratings have shown a sharp rise after the election, from 24% in July 2024 to 62% in February 2025. This was revealed by the latest round of the Gallup-style ‘Mood of the Nation’ poll conducted by Verité Research.

The poll shows that for the first time since the economic crisis, a majority of the population (55%) feels that economic conditions in Sri Lanka are “getting better”. However, 47% still feel that the economy, as a whole, is in a “poor condition,” which is a decline from the 71% who thought that way in July 2024.

Overall, from July 2024 to February 2025, the percentage of people who disapprove of the Government declined from 60% to 16% (44-point reduction), and the percentage of people who think the economy is getting worse declined from 65% to 14% (51-point reduction).

Tax on forex earnings

However, another key issue that was also in the spotlight last week was the proposed amendments to the Inland Revenue Act that are to come into effect from 1 April that included the imposition of a tax on foreign currency earnings.

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa noted that a 15% tax on service exports would cripple Sri Lanka’s digital economy and drive talent away. He pointed out in a message on X that at a time when Sri Lanka needed to boost exports, this move would push talent overseas, hurting the nation’s economy in the long-term.

Premadasa has proposed that instead of taxing dollar earners, the Government should incentivise and support them to boost long-term revenue, investments, talent, and industry development.

Meanwhile, MP Harsha de Silva, taking to X, noted that during the economic crisis, remote work that earned foreign exchange was what had prevented further brain drain in the country, allowing Sri Lankans to earn competitive salaries while remaining in Sri Lanka. 

“We’re marketing #SriLanka as a haven for foreign #digitalnomads while simultaneously taxing our own citizens for the same work. This sends conflicting signals to investors and undermines our competitiveness,” de Silva claimed.

Also joining the Opposition campaign, Sarvajana Balaya Leader MP Dilith Jayaweera criticised the move, stating that it discouraged creative entrepreneurship and could drive foreign exchange transactions into informal channels like the ‘undial’ system.

“The Government will only lose dollars, not earn, at a time when foreign exchange is needed,” he said, while calling for collective action regardless of political divisions to pressure the Government to withdraw what he termed an “unfair tax”.

The JVP/NPP Government however responded stating that all citizens were liable to pay taxes, raising the question whether the opposition was over paying taxes or whether it was over the taxing percentage.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando was seen clarifying the implementation of the new tax on service exports, stating that all citizens were liable to pay income tax. He explained that service export providers had been granted certain tax reliefs compared to ordinary taxpayers.

Blaming IMF

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe defended the Government’s tax policy, while noting that the restrictions imposed by IMF agreements had prevented the provision of sector-specific tax reductions.

Referring to the proposed tax on service exports, Abeysinghe had clarified that individuals earning less than Rs. 1.8 million (approximately $ 5,000) annually would not be taxed and that the maximum tax rate for freelance foreign income would be capped at 15%, even for those earning higher amounts.

He also noted that Sri Lanka needed to comply with global tax regulations, including a 15% minimum tax on IT services as per international double taxation treaties and that the previous Government had agreed to a 30% tax rate.

Abeysinghe further noted that approximately 200,000 freelancers operated in Sri Lanka and that the country could gain an annual economic boost of around $ 1 billion if each freelancer brought in at least $ 5,000 through formal banking channels.

Sunil’s bombshell

However, there continue to be contradictions within the JVP/NPP Government that have been witnessed through contradictory statements and actions of Government members. 

Despite attempts by several Government ministers to justify the proposed 15% tax on service exports, Minister Sunil Handunnetti last week dropped a bombshell stating that he did not agree with the tax during a political interview on a State-owned television channel. “I do not agree with this tax,” he said.

He warned that the tax could discourage businesses and impact the sector’s growth. “I’m just one person opposing it; I approach this as the Industry Minister and given the need for export earnings. Finance Ministry officials, however, see it as a necessary measure to generate tax revenue,” Handunnetti said, adding that there needed to be a further discussion on the matter.

Expenditure revelation

Amidst the discourse over some of the Government’s proposed taxes, the JVP/NPP Government continues to grab public attention by announcing lists of vices of previous governments that started with the alleged abuse of the President’s Fund monies by politicians, to over Rs. 1 billion paid to politicians as compensation for houses burnt down on 9 May 2022, with the latest being the public funds spent by former heads of State for overseas travel.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya revealed in the House last week the foreign travel expenses incurred by former presidents from 2010 to 2024. The victory of spending the highest sum of monies on foreign travel was vested with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR), with former President Wickremesinghe being vested with the runner-up position.

Accordingly, it was stated in the Premier’s revelation that from 2010-2014 MR had spent the highest sum of monies on foreign travel at Rs. 3,572 million. From 2015-2019 Maithripala Sirisena had spent Rs. 384 million; from 2020-2022 Gotabaya Rajapaksa had spent Rs. 126 million; from 2023-2024 Ranil Wickremesinghe had spent Rs. 533 million and from 2024 September to 2025 February, Anura Kumara Dissanayake had spent Rs. 1.8 million.

While criticism mounted on President AKD’s travel expenditure with questions on how he had engaged in three tours to India, China, and the UAE at a cost of Rs. 1.8 million, the Government responded saying that the Chinese and UAE air travel expenses had not been made by the Sri Lankan Government.

Meanwhile, it was also revealed that former President Wickremesinghe’s large pool of advisers had cost the State coffers Rs. 59 million in allowances to them.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara claimed that despite the various titles associated with the former President, he was a fraud: “He had 39 presidential advisers. It is fair to have advisers as a president doesn’t know everything. But to have 39 advisers, he couldn’t have known about anything at all,” the Minister noted, adding that at least 67 people had been appointed in an advisory capacity using titles such as ‘Director.’

The excesses of previous governments remain a sour point where the general public is concerned and the JVP/NPP has now mastered the art of getting the masses to side with the Government despite shortcomings as opposed to former rulers. 

This was put right by AKD when he said in Parliament last Friday that anyone who wished to take over power from the JVP/NPP should come up with better programmes to change the corrupt system that had been put in place by former governments.

Ravi’s advice to AKD

Opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake meanwhile made a request from President AKD. He asked the President to use helicopters when travelling across the country.

“He spends at least seven hours travelling towards the north by road. He wastes valuable time which he can spend to make important decisions by travelling to the north by road. The President will have more time to make important decisions if he travels by helicopter,” Karunanayake told Parliament during the second reading debate on the Budget in Parliament.

Karunanayake further noted that Sri Lanka had failed to earn the desired benefits from the decisions by the President and the Government to forgo perks MPs were entitled to.

Japan bound

Meanwhile, President AKD is likely to make his fourth official overseas visit to Japan after receiving an official invitation to visit the country by Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata during a meeting with the President last Thursday (27 February). 

The Ambassador had told the President that efforts had been made to include Sri Lanka in the recently launched security cooperation assistance programme by the Japanese Government. The discussion had also covered Japanese contributions to key programmes in Sri Lanka, including the current status and progress of digital economic and airport investments where the Ambassador had reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s digital transformation programme.

Modi’s visit

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Sri Lanka around April. News about Modi’s impending visit is now doing the rounds in some media, while both Sri Lanka and India have not made any official announcement about it.

Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka is expected to take place in response to President AKD’s invitation to the Indian Premier during his visit to India last December.

It is believed that Modi’s Sri Lanka visit will also coincide with the launch of the 120 MW Sampur solar power plant by India, which was announced by President AKD during a post-Budget conference recently.

The ironies

However, Modi’s impending visit and the Sri Lankan Government’s move to continue with the proposed Sampur solar power plant are filled with ironies.

When previous governments had planned to move ahead with the proposed Sampur power plant, first as a coal plant and later as a solar plant, it was the JVP (the mother party of the NPP) that had campaigned against the project. It was senior JVP/NPP member, Minister K.D. Lalkantha who played a key role in the past against the proposed Sampur power plant.

It is therefore ironic that the JVP/NPP Cabinet that includes Lalkantha has now approved the new solar power plant in Sampur by India. It is also ironic that Modi will be visiting Sri Lanka under a Government led by the JVP, which has held an anti-Indian stance in the past, to launch a project that the JVP had also protested against in the past.

On the other hand, Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka and the launch of the proposed Sampur solar power plant will also show the evolution of the JVP as a fully-fledged political party, with the NPP Government showing maturity in handling geopolitical affairs.

RW in India

However, news of the possibility of Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka this year has surprised members of the Opposition, especially former President Wickremesinghe. It is no secret that Wickremesinghe had expected Modi to visit Sri Lanka during his tenure in office, but the visit had to be postponed due to various reasons, with the final being last September’s Presidential Election.

Meanwhile, the former President travelled to India on Thursday (27 February) to attend an event in New Delhi. Wickremesinghe travelled to India to attend the ‘NXT Conclave’ hosted at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi as a Guest of Honour on Friday (28 February) and delivered a keynote address at the conclave. 

Wickremesinghe was to be joined by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The former President is due to return to Sri Lanka today (2).

Wickremesinghe also met Modi on the sidelines of the event. Taking to X after the conclave, Modi said: “At the ‘NXT Conclave,’ met my friend Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe. I have always looked forward to our interactions and have admired his perspective on various issues.”

RW’s security predicament

Meanwhile, former President Wickremesinghe was faced with quite a security conundrum recently when he was travelling back to Sri Lanka from Oman after attending the ‘Indian Ocean Conference.’

Wickremesinghe and his security officer were met by officials from the Sri Lankan mission in Muscat to sort out travel details. They had also provided Wickremesinghe and his security with boarding passes all the way to Colombo with a short transit in Abu Dhabi.

However, upon reaching Abu Dhabi, it was learnt that Wickremesinghe’s security officer had been issued a stand-by boarding pass from Abu Dhabi to Colombo by the officials in Muscat, resulting in the security officer being offloaded from the flight Wickremesinghe boarded to Sri Lanka. 

Although officials from the Sri Lankan mission in Abu Dhabi had tried their best to resolve the matter, airline officials had explained that they could not do anything from Abu Dhabi since the officials in Muscat had already confirmed the status of the passengers. Therefore, the officials from the Muscat mission had made the blunder of not re-checking the boarding passes and travel papers once issued.

Wickremesinghe’s security officer, once offloaded from the aircraft, had then called his (Wickremesinghe’s) office in Colombo and arranged for another security officer to be at the Bandaranaike International Airport to carry out the protocol of escorting the former Head of State from the aircraft to the vehicle.

Hearing of this incident, several Wickremesinghe loyalists claimed that the incident showed the incompetence of officials appointed to Sri Lanka’s missions overseas and the lack of understanding of protocols as well as security details. They also noted that Wickremesinghe had not opposed the reduction of security and had accepted the decisions of the incumbent Government, but that even the one security officer had not been accommodated on the return journey from Oman.

JVP’s plan

Meanwhile, talk about the increasing displeasure among some NPP MPs over the strict code of discipline put in place by the JVP continues in political circles. The talk of the increasing dissension within the NPP ranks intensified with reports that around 15 JVP/NPP MPs are looking at resigning from their parliamentary seats due to the increasing financial pressures faced by them and their families.

A majority of the MPs who have joined the NPP were intellectuals and professionals who were engaged in some form of employment and earning a monthly income until they were elected to Parliament. 

The JVP’s firm discipline that those who join the party and assume roles have to work voluntarily and full-time has made it difficult for some of the NPP MPs. Given that the JVP does not take any of the perks and privileges afforded to MPs, including monthly salaries, these NPP MPs are left without a proper monthly income (apart from an allowance given by the party) to help with the upkeep of their families.

News of the increasing displeasure among some NPP MPs and the talk doing the rounds that they could resign from the House, it is learnt, had reached JVP seniors as well. It is also learnt that the JVP seniors had also held a discussion about the matter and noted that the NPPers (who are not members of the JVP) were finding it difficult to abide by the JVP’s code of discipline that only the JVPers and their families were acclimatised to.

The JVP seniors nevertheless have decided to let the current situation unfold with an ulterior motive in mind.

There are currently around 52 JVPers (full time) in Parliament, while the rest of the 107 MPs are NPPers. However, it is learnt that in the event some NPP MPs decide to quit Parliament, it is JVPers who are next in line to enter the House. This in turn will enable the JVP to expand its lot in Parliament by a considerable number and would stand to serve the JVP in the event of a clash between the JVP and NPP in the future.

The JVP seniors have therefore decided to adopt a wait-and-see attitude with regard to the NPP MPs in the House.

MPs in the library

Meanwhile, the JVP/NPP has also made it compulsory for its parliamentarians to use the library facilities in the parliamentary complex.

Leader of the House, Minister Rathnayake told Parliament that while it has been made compulsory for JVP/NPP MPs to use the library facilities to further improve their knowledge, the party had also requested a report on the MPs using the facilities to ensure that they are working at improving their knowledge.

However, the directive to obtain a report on the MPs using the Parliament Library to ascertain whether JVP/NPP lawmakers were following the party directive surprised members in the Opposition, with some of them discussing the extent of the JVP’s strict directives that had to be followed even by NPPers who were not members of the JVP.

FSP clash with JVP

However, a splinter group of the JVP, the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), has now become the main critic of the JVP and the Government led by the party, by criticising and clashing with it.

The FSP has claimed that the JVP/NPP’s maiden Budget will result in every family paying an amount of around Rs. 40,000 per month on taxes imposed on goods and services. 

FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda claims that taxes on goods and services have increased by around 25.94%, with the Government earning Rs. 2,201 billion in 2024 through taxes on goods and services and this year the amount to be earned had been increased to Rs. 2,772 billion. 

“If this amount is divided by the 5.8 million families in the country, each family had paid Rs. 31,623 in 2024 and this year it will increase to Rs. 39,817. This year each family will have to pay an additional Rs. 8,200 in taxes as monthly payment for goods and services,” he added.

Jayagoda further noted that the Census and Statistics Department had reported that a family of four spends Rs. 78,000 for monthly expenses and now Rs. 40,000 out of this amount will go towards taxes. The FSP claimed that the people were continuing to face difficulties in surviving with taxes imposed on education and health equipment.

LG Polls after Avurudu

The country’s political stage meanwhile is also preparing to hit election mode once the Budget process concludes in the House.

The Election Commission has stated that all legal issues related to holding the Local Government (LG) Elections have been resolved and that the date of the poll will be announced this month. The commission has noted that while the LG Elections will be announced early this month, nominations are likely to be called after the conclusion of the Budget process.

However, it is learnt that the LG Elections are expected to take place either at the end of April or in the first week of May.

SJB-UNP talks end

Meanwhile, talks between the SJB and the United National Party (UNP) to form an alliance have come to an abrupt end and the two parties are unlikely to contest the upcoming LG Elections together.

The talks to form an alliance between the two parties have ended without a clear date for its resumption and informed sources note that both parties are therefore unlikely to contest the upcoming LG Elections together.

Talks between the SJB and UNP ended with SJB National Organiser Tissa Attanayake withdrawing from the SJB’s Negotiating Committee, slamming certain sections of the SJB and the UNP, while the UNP stated that it was awaiting a response from the SJB to resume talks.

SJB defectors

However, it is learnt that several members of the UNP are looking at the possibility of forming an alliance between the UNP and a group of SJB MPs.

Former SJB MP Rajitha Senaratne, who defected from the party and joined Wickremesinghe during the Presidential Election campaign last year, has said that there is a group of SJB MPs who are considering forming an alliance with the UNP since the SJB leadership is opposed to an alliance between the two parties. These SJB MPs, according to Senaratne, are in discussion with the UNP to move forward with the proposed alliance.

Reforms group

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the call for reforms in the SJB is continuing, with a group of 10 senior SJBers urging the need for party reforms.

It is however also learnt that the SJBers are now split into three groups. One group is pushing for an alliance between the SJB and UNP while another group is considering joining the UNP. The latter group is however finding it difficult to proceed with the plan due to their dislike of two senior UNPers closely affiliated to Wickremesinghe.

The other group in the SJB is considering the formation of a new party without Wickremesinghe and Premadasa that could form the base of a broad Opposition alliance. 

No RW return

Meanwhile, New Democratic Front (NDF) parliamentary group Leader Ravi Karunanayake has confirmed to a group of parliamentarians that former President Wickremesinghe will not be entering Parliament.

Karunanayake has told a group of MPs in the House last week that either he or MP Faiszer Musthapha had to resign from their seats if Wickremesinghe was to return to the House and that both of them had no intention of stepping down. He has further noted that in the event either one of them resigned from Parliament, it would not be Wickremesinghe who would be appointed to the House through the NDF National List.

CBK-Maithri meeting

With political parties focusing on the upcoming LG Elections, former Presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (CBK) and Maithripala Sirisena had recently met in Colombo for a discussion.

It is learnt that the discussion had focused on the future political trajectory of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). According to a senior party official, the meeting had addressed several crucial matters, including resolving internal conflicts within the party.

The discussion had also focused on the SLFP’s preparations to face the upcoming LG Elections as well as measures needed to ensure that the party remains a united front to effectively confront the political challenges ahead.

Alliance talks

While the SJB and UNP talks on forming an alliance are on hold, the SLFP and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) are continuing with discussions with other parties as well as individuals to look at forming an alliance prior to the upcoming LG Elections.

The SLFP, it is learnt, is continuing with a discussion with the Sarvajana Balaya led by Dilith Jayaweera, while the SLPP is in discussion with party defectors who had joined the ‘gas cylinder’ alliance during last year’s elections.

Mahindananda’s change of heart

Meanwhile, former SLPP MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who announced that he was retiring from politics after last year’s Parliamentary Elections, seems to have returned to active politics. Aluthgamage’s return to politics seems to have been pushed by several of his colleagues, who had also defected from the SLPP with him last year.

A group of around 24 SLPP defectors recently met at Aluthgamage’s Rajagiriya residence to discuss their future political path. Among those who gathered were Prasanna Ranatunga, Bandula Gunawardena, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Ramesh Pathirana, Kanchana Wijesekera, Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, Shehan Semasinghe, Piyal Nishantha, Madhura Vithanage, Premnath Dolawatte, Pradeep Undugoda, and several others.

During the discussion, several SLPP defectors had pointed out that it was the likes of MR who had initially told the SLPPers to support Wickremesinghe and later changed their stance and fielded a candidate from the SLPP.

Abeygunawardena and several others had noted that they (the SLPP defectors) had to join an Opposition alliance.

New party

At this juncture, the likes of Wijesekera had asked who the group could align with since there were some Opposition parties that did not accept them.

Wijesekera had further explained that the group needed to make a political decision that went beyond the upcoming LG Elections. “We should not make decisions based on the LG Elections. After this election, there will be no elections for several years. Therefore, we need to make decisions targeting the next few years and the next national-level elections,” he had noted.

After listening to these comments, Aluthgamage had proposed that the group form a new political party.