SLFP doesn’t...

SLFP has formed a unity government with the UNP under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and therefore there was no need to think of forming another government until 2020

The General Secretary of the SLFP-LED UPFA said his party’s sole objective was to ensure victory for the party at the LG polls and form a SLFP-LED government in 2020.

He said anyone could join the SLFP but the SLFP had no intention of joining any other party and pointed out that the SLFP had formed a unity government with the UNP under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and therefore there was no need to think of forming another government until 2020.

The minister told the media that the SLFP would contest the local government polls as a broad alliance of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim parties representing all provinces though it was yet to select a symbol -- the hand, chair or betel leaf.

“What I can assure you is that the SLFP is trying to unite all factions under one umbrella and contest the polls and win it. In this endeavour, we are ready to take any one willing to join us into our fold,” he said.

In a positive note he said there would be no election violence at this election because the two major political parties in the unity government, the UNP and SLFP were determined to keep rivalry to the minimum which is one example of a unity government. The UNP will also contest the local government polls separately and pool its full strength to win the elections which is natural despite the fact that the party is united in governance with the SLFP.

The minister said as the UPFA General Secretary and Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayaka as the SLFP General Secretary would make submissions before the Court of Appeal on December 4 to prevent any further delay in conducting LG polls.

“The government does not want to delay the polls even by a day. We will do our best to hold the polls in January or early February,” he said.