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Over 23 SLFP MPs to support National Government

by Ravi Ladduwahetty

Twenty three SLFP Members of the present Parliament, which includes six former Ministers, are willing to support the United National Front to form a National Government, Colombo District MP and former Highways Minister A. H. M. Fowzie told the Daily News yesterday.

Mr. Fowzie, who held the portfolios of Health, Highways and Social Services in the PA regimes of 1994 and 2000, said, that the six former Ministers and MPs included former Leader of the House and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Administrative Reforms Richard Pathirana, former Minister Tourism and Aviation Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and former Deputy Minister of Power and Energy Felix Perera.

He denied that there was support for this move from the other constituent parties of the PA and other opposition parties such as the JVP.

Responding to a question as to whether the UNF leadership had offered them Cabinet portfolios as an inducement, he replied in the negative.

The reason for us deciding to support the UNF to form a national Government is primarily to ensure that there is a solution to the ethnic crisis which has ravaged the nation and also to see that the proposed electoral reforms are implemented. So, hankering for Cabinet portfolios is not our priority, he said.

Commenting on the proposed electoral reforms, he said:" It is imperative that the electoral reforms are implemented as the present system has led to a lot of intra-party squabbles due to the preferential votes. Even canvassing for an election is much easier within the electorate under the first-past- the-post system in contrast to the present districtwise system where expenditure and the coverage are much greater."

Commenting on the political backdrop in the immediate aftermath of the December 5 polls, he said: "There are over 200 activists and supporters of the PA who are currently in jail over various accusations. The Police and the Judiciary and not acting expeditiously with the inquiries so that they can even be granted bail."

These include a former Deputy Minister from the Puttalam District, MPs from the Gampaha and Kandy Districts, a Chairmen and a large number of Pradeshiya Sabha Members.

Mr. Fowzie alleged that the Police is intentionally delaying these inquiries in order to curry favour with the new Government.

When contacted by the Daily News, LSSP Leader and former Justice Minister Batty Weerakoon and Communist Party Politburo Member and former General Secretary Raja Collure said that none of their party members were in jail over post polls violence.

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