The SLFP leadership had conveniently forgotten that over 4.7 mn people who voted for the SLFP-led coalition never expected a section of the main constituent of the grouping to accept portfolios in the UNP led government, Dr Wasantha Bandara of the PNM told The Island yesterday.

Dr Bandara emphasised that the UPFA with 95 parliamentary seats, including 12 National List slots had the wherewithal to perform well in the eighth parliament. In fact, there had never been such a strong Opposition grouping in parliament, therefore there couldn’t have been any excuse on the SLFP’s part to sit in the Opposition, the PNM spokesperson said.

The UPFA 95 member grouping included five National Freedom Front

members and one member each from the MEP (Dinesh Gunawardena), Democratic Left Front (Vasudeva Nanayakkara) Udaya Nanayakkara (Pivithuru Hela Urumaya) and Chandrasiri Gajadeera (Communist Party).

The TNA secured 16 parliamentary seats, including two NL slots at the Aug. 17 parliamentary polls. Of the

16 seats, the Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) obtained 10 seats, including both NL slots, whereas the TELO, PLOTE and EPRLF shared the remaining six seats, two each.

On the first day of eighth parliament, Selvam Addaikalanathan (TELO) received appointment as Deputy Chairman of Committees.

Responding to a query, Dr Bandara alleged that the SLFP had paved the way for Sampanthan’s appointment by accepting portfolios in the Maithripala Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration.

Dr Bandara asserted that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya should have sought the opinion of the Supreme Court through President Maithripala Sirisena as regards the formation of National Government in accordance with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The UNP-SLFP agreement on National Government couldn’t be in line with the Constitution because the SLFP contested the Aug. 17 parliamentary polls under the UPFA banner clearly opposing the formation of a national government, Dr Bandara said. The government had been in an indecent hurry to finalize the Opposition Leader’s appointment.

Dr Bandara asserted that UPFA prime ministerial candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa should have given leadership to the UPFA grouping in parliament. The UPFA could have provided the required backing on an issue by issue basis without securing cabinet portfolios, Dr Bandara said.

The PNM referred to UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim’s recent declaration that the party could comfortably secure the required support to form a government though it secured 107 seats at the Aug. 17 parliamentary polls. The 107 member group included one SLMC candidate who contested on the SLMC ticket in Batticaloa whereas the party fielded contestants on UNP ticket elsewhere.

Dr Bandara said that the so called government of good governance was acting contrary to the very principles it publicly espoused. Those who had voted for the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Jan.8 presidential polls as well as the UPFA at the Aug. 17 polls would think twice before backing the SLFP at future elections, Dr Bandara said. Far smaller Opposition groups had managed well in parliament. Therefore, the SLFP shouldn’t have accepted portfolios at the expense of those who had believed in the return of war winning President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister of the eighth parliament.

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