Governing signs of splits emerge in UPFA

Monday, 05 May 2014 

The dissent brewing among constituent parties in the ruling coalition and leaders of several coalition partners are likely to shift allegiance in a future election.

The Sunday Lankadeepa newspaper in its lead news has directly alluded to nationalist parties Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and National Freedom Front (NFF) as possible coalition partners who are suspected of shifting allegiance from the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) .

The monk-led JHU voted against the orders of the Strategic Development Project Act which was taken up in the parliament last week while the MPs of breakaway Marxist party led by Minister Wimal Weerawansa abstained from voting. Both parties accuse the government of planning to introduce casino through these development projects.
JHU General Secretary, Minister Champika Ranawaka says the party is ready to work with any force that accepts the policies of the JHU.

Ranawaka has made this comment to the Mawbima newspaper.

He has said the JHU cannot go any further with the government.

Ranawaka has explained that the government was not implementing the Mahinda Chinthana policy statement that was accepted by all governing party leaders and instead the UNP’s Regaining Sri Lanka policies are being implemented. The JHU is to commence a social dialogue on the matter.

According to the JHU Minister, people are once again in the same position like they were in 2005 when they were in need of a change.

Meanwhile, Sunday Divaina newspaper reported that several leaders of the government coalition parties are discussing with the major opposition United National Party (UNP) over the political situation of the country.

According to the Divaina report, several ruling party leaders are having discussions with the senior leaders of the UNP and several coalition parties which had disputes recently with the ruling party intend to join the UNP to contest future elections.

A senior UNP member has confirmed to the Divaina that currently some ruling party leaders are holding discussions with the UNP and several others have made appointments to hold discussions in the

Government coalition minority political parties, especially Muslim parties are also concerned over the rising Buddhist extremism which they claim the government overlooks, political observers say.

The Muslim parliamentarians recently wrote to the President urging him to take action to curtail the incidents of religious intolerance by the Buddhist extremist groups.