Colombo, Feb 16 (newsin.asia) – Political unrest deepened further in Sri Lanka on Friday as the country’s unity government showed no signs of setting aside their differences in order to continue in power.
While, the United National Party remained steadfast in forming a United National Front government with Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister, officials from President Maithripala Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party had already held talks with former President Mahinda Rajapakse in garnering support of the Joint Opposition to form a United People’s Freedom Alliance led government.
Sources said that Mahinda Rajapakse, who is marking time to make a come back and resume power as the country’s new Prime Minister gave his wholehearted consent to the UPFA to go ahead with a UPFA led government. Talks were also underway in signing a MoU between the Joint Opposition and the UPFA. One of the clauses in the MoU, which they will eventually be pitched to the public in order to garner public support is that national assets will not be privatized.
Rajapakse was also informed that the new Prime Ministerial candidate selected by the UPFA was Nimal Siripala De Silva. Rajapakse had agreed to this too.
With no time to waste, President Sirisena, who has in the past week received a severe backlash from the public for ‘back stabbing’ the unity government and the UNP, was informed of Rajapakse’s consent. Moves are now underway by the UPFA to collect as many signatures as possible in order to show a 113 seat majority in Parliament.
Sirisena is also to consult the Attorney General and legal experts on the possibility of removing Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister.
A committee has also been appointed to take further steps in forming a UPFA government under the coordination of SLFP Minister Susil Premajayantha and JO parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena.
The UNP camp, hurriedly rushed to Temple Trees on Friday morning and are presently holding a meeting with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe on the future of the party.
Wickremesinghe is expected to make an announcement on Friday afternoon on the future of his leadership and his party.
UNP Member John Amaratunga however said that a UNF alliance would soon be formed and the party was confident of having more than 113 seats in Parliament.
“Any one can do or say what they want. But the UNP, along with the UNF will form a government soon, headed by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. If the SLFP want they cant stay, or they can leave,” Amaratunga said.
Sources said that talks were also underway of appointing Sarath Fonseka as the new Law and Order Minister, following Minister Sagala Ratnayake’s announcement that he would give up his portfolio for the betterment of the UNP.