Statement from Mahinda about decision to form new Party
Though various rumours were circulating that former President Mahinda and the United Opposition Party would be forming Parties, those were not genuine rumours. However it apparently is noted that the matter of the SLFP dividing itself has
now come to a decisive junction. The former President has mentioned that although he and his comrades had made an attempt to safeguard the Sri Lanka Freedom Party it had not been successful and it has been decided to form a separate Party because his comrades 'cannot get away after being beating and pushed against the wall even after worshipping'.Participating at a series of pinkamas conducted at Situlpawwa Raja Maha Vihara day-before-yesterday (17) he had said the following: 'The public has understood the work of this people. Their job is to take us to courts every day by branding us saying rogues ... rogues. The prison hospital has been closed by orders of the Prime Minister's Office. I have come to know that a stalwart of ours is to be taken into custody. The hospital was already refurbished. There's no necessity to close it saying that a fresh renovation has to be carried out. I don't know when this revenge will stop. Only because we can't bear it anymore that our new Party is being launched. It's because we were beaten and pushed to the wall and cannot free ourselves even after worshipping that a new Party is being formed'.