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No more independent MPs to join Government?

23 May 2022

  • Gammanpila, Tissa Vitharana, and Gevindu Cumaratunga optimistic that no other MPs will accept posts
By Buddhika Samaraweera Against the backdrop of Cabinet portfolios being accepted by a few MPs out of the group that recently announced that it would act independently in Parliament instead of supporting the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)-led Government, other MPs from the said group have stated they would not accept any such posts, and would continue to be independent. SLPP MP and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader Udaya Gammanpila, whose party is among the 11 that recently declared they would function independently in Parliament, told The Morning yesterday that he would not accept any ministerial post in the Government, no matter who else decided to accept such positions.  “We are a coalition of several political parties. The Central Committee of each party makes decisions regarding their parties. They have the right to do so, but we are of the view that we will not accept ministerial posts. However, we have already announced that we would join the 15 sectoral oversight and finance committees to be appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.” Speaking to The Morning, SLPP National List MP and Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) Leader Prof. Tissa Vitharana said: “We have not met after they took over the ministerial posts, but as far as I am aware, we stand by our policies and principles. We have decided to not take up any ministerial posts, and we are not going to change that decision. Therefore, I hope that others will not give into various pressures. I am hopeful that we will continue to work as an independent group.” Speaking to The Morning yesterday, SLPP National List MP and Yuthukama organisation Chairman Gevindu Cumaratunga also stated that he would provide the necessary support to implement the decisions taken by the Government without assuming ministerial posts. He also stated that the matter was discussed during a recent discussion with the Premier. “We will not be able to agree with all the decisions that would be taken by Wickremesinghe, but we do not want to oppose everything and drag the country into another crisis. Therefore, we support any progressive action taken by him and the Government to help the country recover from the current crisis,” he said. A few political parties that have been working as a coalition – including the LSSP, the PHU, the Yuthukama organisation, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the National Freedom Front (NFF), the United People’s Party (UPP), the Democratic Left, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP), and the Our Power of People Party (OPPP) – informed the Parliament on 4 April that they would function independently in Parliament. Following the appointment of Wickremesinghe as Premier, these parties stated they would not accept any ministerial posts, but join the 15 sectoral oversight and finance committees that were to be appointed by the Premier. However, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Tiran Alles, who represented the SLFP and the UPP, respectively, recently took over two Cabinet portfolios in the Wickremesinghe-led Government. Some other MPs who announced that they would function independently in Parliament and were not in the said coalition of independent parties, such as Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha, Dr. Susil Premajayantha, and Nalin Fernando, also took over ministerial posts. In addition, Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya (SLMP) Leader MP Asanka Navarathne recently told the media that he was of the view that the independent political parties should join the Government and support its programme.


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