SLPP rebels vow to sustain campaign, slam ‘Ugly American’ for crisis

Warning over destabilisation project to facilitate Western intervention

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Water Supply Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara yesterday (04) declared that in spite of the removal of the National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila from the Cabinet, the 11-party rebel grouping wouldn’t give up its campaign to change the course of the SLPP-led government.

The General Secretary of the Democratic Left Front (DLF) Nanayakkara said so at a hastily arranged media briefing at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel where Attorney-at-Law Gammanpila launched a scathing attack on Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa over the current economic crisis.

The media was told that they wouldn’t forge an alliance with the Opposition under any circumstances.

In an obvious reference to Basil Rajapaksa’s dual citizenship, Colombo District MP Gammanpila said that the ‘ugly American’ should accept the responsibility for the crisis the country was experiencing at the moment. The rebel group placed the blame squarely on Basil, who re-entered Parliament last July with the help of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution for which both Weerawansa and Gammanpila voted for, in Oct, 2020 after opposing it intially.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sacked Weerawansa and Gammanpila on Thursday (03) in the wake of ten SLPP constituents and Ape Janabala Pakshaya presenting an alternative action plan to strengthen the much deteriorated national economy. The grouping demanded, re-structuring of the massive debt and an end to loans from international money markets. The alternative plan was presented at an event at Monarch Hotel Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte, chaired by former President and leader of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena.

Declaring that he had been with Weerawansa and Gammanpila from the inception of the political project, launched in the wake of them moving the Supreme Court against the controversial Yugadanavi agreement in Sept last year, lawmaker Nanayakkara emphasized his strong protest over the sacking of his colleagues. Nanayakkara, who had waged many a political battle alongside Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he wouldn’t perform ministerial duties to underscore his opposition to the government move.

President Rajapaksa refrained from sacking Nanayakkara when Weerawansa and Gammanpila were removed to pave the way for a minor reshuffling of the cabinet on Thursday. Further changes were made on Friday as except the education portfolio held by Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) leader Dinesh Gunawardena all portfolios were shared by the SLPP. The MEP refrained from joining the Vasu-Wimal-Udaya led grouping.

Lawmaker Nanayakkara said that having launched a campaign alongside Weerawansa and Gamamnpila et al he couldn’t abandon them. However, he ruled out the possibility of him resigning his ministerial portfolio. Except for a few henchmen, the vast majority found fault with the government for removal of the ministers who gave leadership to much needed political initiative, MP Nanayakkara said.

Ratnapura District lawmaker said that the action taken against Weerawansa and Gammanpila couldn’t be justified under any circumstances.

PHU leader alleged that Sri Lanka ws trapped in an intentional conspiracy. The former minister compared the current situation with that Indonesia had to face in 1997.

Gammanpila vowed whatever challenges they would do their utmost to thwart the conspiracy.

The Democratic Left Front, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the National Freedom Front, the National Congress, the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya, the Vijaya Dharani Jathika Sabhawa, the Eksath Mahajana Pakshaya and the Yuthukama civil society organisation, endorsed what the SLFP leader, former President Maithripala Sirisena, called National Declaration at the Monarch launch.

Except for Ven. Atureliye Rathana Thera, who represented Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya in Parliament, all others were constituents of the SLPP.

Lawmaker Nanayakkara alleged that those who sacked Weerawansa and Gammanpila, both Colombo District parliamentarians, obviously didn’t bother to comprehend what they said. Declaring both members had substantial following, MP Nanayakkara said that the decision to sack popular politicians was a move made against the public.

Acknowledging that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had been under heavy pressure, MP Nanayakkara said that they wouldn’t ease up pressure on the President and the government.

On behalf of the grouping, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila addressed the gathering.

Gammanpila alleged that the national economy was now in the hands of a person who didn’t have absolutely no idea about economic matters. Declaring that they had been compelled to take their case to the people, MP Gammanpila said that their efforts to convince the government to take remedial measures failed. The former minister warned the SLPP leadership that in his ex-capacity as the cabinet spokesperson all those, who had been involved in the conspiracy would be revealed. The PHU leader claimed that interested parties caused chaos in the country to facilitate external interventions. The lawyer explained how Western powers destabilized Indonesia to such an extent to pave the way for East Timor to receive recognition as the first sovereign state of the 21 century.

MP Gammanpila vowed to sustain their campaign regardless of them continuing with the government or not.