by Sahan Tennekoon in The Daily Morning, Sept 5, 2023
A new political alliance, initiated by Opposition Parliamentarian Nimal Lanza and led by Opposition MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, is to commence key discussions with major political parties representing Parliament next month (October) once it completes drafting their future programme, which is to be unveiled in the same month.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (4), Yapa confirmed that the MPs who support the new alliance had requested him to take the leadership and that he had accepted. Yapa also said that no discussion has been held so far with any political party but that certain meetings have been held with individuals willing to support this movement. When he was queried as to whether they intend to have discussions with the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Yapa claimed that while such is yet to be decided, some MPs in the party have already informed that they intend to support their faction in the future.
“It is true that I have been appointed as the head of the alliance. We are not in a hurry to increase our cadre but we are focusing much on making a good programme that everyone can accept. Once we are done with it, we hope to start discussions with political parties. We hope that SLPP MPs who do not wish to continue in that party will support us,” he said.
Yapa added that as the majority of the SLPP MPs had commenced their political career from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), they hope to form the new alliance according to the philosophies and principles laid out by its forefathers while blending it with new political trends. He also said that this alliance will be a platform for those who have progressive, centre-left ideologies.
It was also reported that MPs supporting Lanza’s alliance had informed President and United National Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe of their preparations and that the alliance would bolster Wickremesinghe’s candidacy in the upcoming Presidential Election.
https://www.themorning.lk/articles/rg6zjwiBboJRJ3rRGzPE
