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SLFP MPs boycott talks with President after protests outside office

12 Apr 2022

  • Duminda Dissanayake says decision taken after Shantha Bandara accepted State Ministry Protestors demand SLFP not strengthen Rajapaksa-led Government
Following protests staged by people outside the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) headquarters on Darley Road, Colombo 10, the parliamentary group of the SLFP boycotted the second round of discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa scheduled to be held yesterday (12) to discuss the possibility of the formation of an Interim Government. SLFP National Organiser MP Duminda Dissanayake said that the decision to boycott yesterday’s meeting was taken in protest over the issue that two MPs from their group, representing the SLFP, still serve in State Ministerial portfolios in the Government. The protestors outside the headquarters expressed their anger and agitation about MP Shantha Bandara accepting the portfolio of State Minister of Promoting the Production and Regulating the Supply of Organic Fertiliser on 11 April from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, replacing Shasheendra Rajapaksa. The main demand of the protestors was to not “provide oxygen” to the Rajapaksa family or the Government by joining forces with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). Following the protests, addressing a District Representatives’ meeting of the SLFP at the same venue, SLFP Leader and former President Maithripala Sirisena and the party’s General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera both stated that it would not support a Government which includes the Rajapaksas, mainly referring to the fact that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa could not remain as PM in any interim Government. However, there was no insistence on the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which has been the primary demand of protestors islandwide. The SLFP MPs recently decided to sit independently in the Parliament. MP Shantha Bandara accepted the portfolio of State Minister of Promoting the Production and Regulating the Supply of Organic Fertiliser on 11 April, replacing Shasheendra Rajapaksa who resigned, despite the SLFP Parliamentary group’s departure from the ruling SLPP, and its decision to sit independently in the Parliament and not accept Ministerial posts. Meanwhile, it is reported that President Rajapaksa has refused to accept the resignation of MP Piyankara Jayaratne as the State Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Market Diversification.


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