SLFP has faced all challenges successfully - SLFP Deputy Chairman

Shirley WIJESINGHE

COLOMBO: The history of the SLFP clearly shows the party had successfully overcome many insidious attempts to sabotage its progress, SLFP Deputy Chairman Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said yesterday.

“There have been many attempts to stop our political drive. But the SLFP has been able to rise again like the proverbial phoenix,” de Silva told a packed media at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute yesterday.

The Minister said the SLFP leadership was able to continue the people-friendly agenda overcoming the dirty tactics of political rivals, with the support of the common people.

“Once the UNP led by President J.R. Jayewardene tried to crush the SLFP through the constitution of 1978. He tried to do the same thing by abolishing the civic rights of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

But President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga came to power in 1994 with the support of the common people,” he recalled.

“There was no political party other than the SLFP in history which has faced so much political revenge. But the SLFP has successfully defeated all such attempts, he added.

Commenting on the crossover of MPs Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Suriyarachchi, he said the duo had forgotten the bitter political environment they experienced during the past UNP administrations.

“But the people of the country will never forget this history. The two MPs are trying to efface the memories of this bitter history.”

A SLFP led Government came into the power again and bolstered its political stability despite the conflict against the most terrible terrorist group in the world - the LTTE.

The challenge posed by the duo was an empty bullet (pus wedilla) for us, de Silva said.

“What kind of middle path is possible with the UNP ? In fact it is the UNP which welcomed the two MPs,” he pointed out. The Minister said the people clearly recognised the UNP as a vengeful party.

“But the SLFP does not seek revenge when it comes to political adversaries. The President also does not wish to follow such actions against the political rivals.”

He charged that the UNP Leader suppressed the voice of the members of his own party. But no such dictatorship can be seen in the SLFP. It was more liberal and democratic. Neither a party nor a person will be perfect at all levels.

“The two MPs are committing political suicide. They should work within one political flow. It is a significant feature of a mature politician.

“Without political maturity, such political personalities can be compared to a ‘bull in a China shop’. This cannot be compared with the SLFP middle path,” the minister said.

“Let us work together to prevent the UNP from coming to power again. The UNP supported the LTTE once through the CFA and empowered them for the next war,” he stressed.

He noted that Maithripala Senanayake and Anura Bandaranaike also tried to leave the party but they came back.

He said that the decisions of two MPs reflected their political immaturity. But the SLFP’s doors are open for their return.

SLFP Senior Deputy President Alawi Moulana strongly criticised the past UNP regimes and recalled the suppression of trade union activities. “No work has been done under the previous UNP Government for the benefit of working people.”

Mowlana said the working people asked only for a Rs.10 salary increment per day from the UNP Government led by J.R. Jayewardene. But their services were terminated.

“The last two year regime of the UNP clearly showed their policy of neglecting the common people after coming to power. No jobs for the youth have been provided by the last UNP Government.”