International   

SLFP to discuss ouster fallout

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa summoned an emergency meeting of the working committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), on Saturday to take stock of the situation arising out of the Friday ouster of three senior Ministers.

The trio — Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi — are expected to meet here on Sunday to decide their future course of action.

Mr. Rajapaksa, as president of the party, would have to decide on their status in the party. While Mr. Bandaranaike is a senior vice-president, Mr. Samaraweera is the treasurer.

By all counts, it would be an uphill task for the dissidents to mobile support within and outside the party against an all-powerful Executive President and leader of the party.

Dissolution of Parliament is Mr. Rajapaksa's trumpcard to discourage parliamentarians from rallying around them.

The term of Parliament ends in 2009 and no parliamentarian is in a mood for another election.

However, Mr. Samaraweera and Mr. Sooriyarachchi are strong leaders and were considered instrumental in the narrow victory of Mr. Rajapaksa in November 2005.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Iranian Government gears up for political show of strength
Row over demolitions
SLFP to discuss ouster fallout
Pentagon cast aside CIA inputs
U.S. fuelling arms race: Putin
Beijing meet discusses draft
Unmanned helicopter to rescue Everest climbers
Now, personalised books
Stunt at Cartoon Network channel
Adelaide Tambo mourned
Clash with whalers
Obama is running
Fresh appeal to be filed against U.K. law

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu