Daily NEWS Srilanka

Though it was announced yesterday that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to contest at the next General Election, it however was an open secret to everybody for quite sometime. However it still has not been specifically broadcast that Mahinda is to contest from United People's Freedom Alliance. Since the crowd that came from the SLFP joined hands with Maithri would become helpless in the face of Mahinda's clan with Mahinda contesting from that Party, a conflict has been created in the UPFA, and it is seen that various people are making various statements.

What Susil Premajayantha, General Secretary of the Alliance had said was that though there is no issue in Mahinda being given nominations from the Alliance, the approval of the Executive Committee has still not been received and that it would take another two days or so. What he and Nimal and Anura together with MPs had gone to Kandy and said was that there is no issue in giving nominations. But informed political sources had revealed that there were conditions attached to Mahinda's group being brought in.

In the process, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had mentioned in the presence of the media yesterday in Minuwangoda that Mahinda being given nominations would not take place under any circumstances. "The Sri Lanka Freedom Party has a Chairman. The former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is not the Chairman of the Party. Who's taking notice of his statements? He can make any statement", she had said.

In the meantime when a certain newspaper queried from Minister Rajitha Senaratna last evening, what he said was, "President Maithripala sticks to his standpoint of not giving nominations from the Alliance. I don't know whether there was a change in that decision. If such a thing happens, being the rest of the MPs of the SLFP we are discussing these days as to what should be done".

In the process, what the Treasurer of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Minister of Labour, Mr. S.B. Nawinna said was that no request has been forwarded to Party Headquarters in an official capacity by former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa of contesting at the forthcoming General Election and therefore there is no foundation in talks spreading here and there. Since the former President Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaika who had opposed former President if he was to contest from the SLFP at the General Election, has issued an announcement that she too will be coming forward to contest, he further says that giving nominations to Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is a problematic issue.

In the meantime, according to what Lakbima Newspaper has reported today (2), discussions have taken place to to give the opportunity of Prime Minister to Speaker Mr. Chamal Rajapaksa who has said that he would bid goodbye to politics last week. The newspaper further reports that President Mr. Maithripala Sirisena and Mr. Chamal Rajapaksa have met together day-before-yesterday (30) night for a discussion and it has been announced on that occasion that it had been the view of the minority Parties that Mr. Chamal Rajapaksa should be named for the position of Prime Minister as a solution for this crisis of the SLFP as suggested there by the President.