IF MAHINDA COMES ... IT'S ONLY FROM HAMBANTOTA!

No solution has been arrived on the crisis from the discussions which concluded last night (7) in

This decisive discussion which was planned to be held between leaders of the Alliance and President Mr. Maithripala Sirisena last night found that the President was not present and instead he had only forwarded some conditions informing about it to the participants, it was understood. However, a spokesman from the Mahinda segment had informed the media this morning saying that the President did attend the meeting. Messrs. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayanth, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa including several Party leaders representing the Alliance have participated at this confrontation. It had been difficult to arrive at an agreement over the issue of nominations forwarded by the Mahinda segment and the Maithri segment because of certain conditions imposed by the President. The President has decided not to give nominations to Johnston Fernando, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Mervin Silva, Rohitha Abeygoonawardena, Sarana Gunawardena, Lakshman Vasantha Perera, Duminda de Silva, Sachin Vas Goonewardena and 20 others and it is the view of the Mahinda segment that without them it is not a possible task to gain a political victory in some districts in their absence. This matter has become a confused issue because it has been said that this decision taken by the President not to give nominations from the UPFA to those suspected to have got involved in corruption and cheating should once again be reviewed.

Under instructions of the President where the discussion was concerned, the Board of Nominations of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party has said that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be granted nominations only from Hambanthota and that he would have no access to hopes about a Prime Minister or leadership of a group. This too it is reported as a debatable matter. It has been the opinion of Mahinda segment that Namal Rajapaksa would be able to receive the biggest number of votes from Hambanthota and it would be advantageous to post Mahinda to another district which will in turn prove beneficial to the Alliance. That subject too has concluded without a decision.

Whatever it is, it was reported that attesting of signatures for nominations of United People's Freedom Alliance would commence today (8) amidst these problems. It was also understood that after the prevalent issues are resolved, steps to hand over nominations of the Alliance would take place next 11th or 12th. If it is not possible to get an agreement on the conditions brought forward by the President, a senior member of the Mahinda segment has remarked that they will still not hesitate to contest separately. Since it has not been possible to reach a final decision on the nomination list of the United People's Freedom Alliance, 15 other Parties connected to it are still sitting on the fence.