Signs that UNP - SLFP is to establish a ....

The SLFP Central Executive Committee which was subjected to various jolts and obstruction to
engage in meetings on court orders had finally met today for the purpose of an extremely important discussion. According to what took place at the discussion at the SLFP Central Executive Committee under the leadership of the President Maithripala Sirisena in the afternoon was that it is not a government with a group including 113 as a collection of those of the UNP in future, but a common or joint government of the SLFP - UNP, it is now reported. Councillors whom President Maithri expelled recently too had attended this Central Executive Committee meeting and Duminda Dissanayaka had taken his seat as the Acting Secretary on behalf of Anura. Mrs. Chandrika Cumaratunga too has participated on this occasion after a period of 10 years. It is not reported that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had participated on this occasion. The President had announced that he had invited the UNP to join hands with the SLFP to form a coalition. The President also pointed out that this sort of unison would be favourable in order to successfully counter challenges which may spring up in the future on an international level. On that occasion the majority of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Central Executive Committee had shown their agreement to that proposal. The Acting Secretary Duminda Dissanayaka has expressed his ideas to the media today that after the meeting the approval was granted for it.

Whatever it is, as a detailed study of its constitution and decisions about agreements is deemed essential, it has been proposed today that a committee headed by Chandrika Bandaranaike, former President be appointed in this regard. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayantha, S.B. Dissanayaka, Sarath Amunugama and Mahinda Samarasingha were included in it. In the meantime the appointment of S.B. Dissanayaka as the new Treasurer of the SLFP was approved.

The President who reminded that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasingha had made a request from leaders of Parties for the establishment of a conventional government even before the elections as well as after the elections, pointed out that the objective of everybody should be to rescue the country and that it is vital that instead of an unsatisfied tug-of-war, everyone should unite to salvage the land. In this context, some members of the SLFP too would be able to look forward to Minister posts in the new government. This proposed convention would turn out to be a coalition of both the UNP and the SLFP; but it has still not been decided whether other parties attached to the Alliance outside the SLFP are to be included too. By this time a discussion by the President with other Parties of the Alliance is taking place at the Presidential Secretariat, it is understood.