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Wednesday May 13th 2015
‘We have more MPs than the UNP’ – Wimal
More than 50 MPs defy party order to show their support for Mahinda
May 9, 2015, 8:24 am
A section of the crowd at the Kurunegala rally (Pic by Dimuthu Premaratne)
By Dasun Edirisinghe reporting from Kurunegala
Fifty five parliamentarians participated in the ‘Bring Back Mahinda’ rally at the Welagedara stadium in Kurunegala yesterday.
It was the fourth rally organised by the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, National Freedom Front, Democratic Left Front and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya demanding former President Mahinda Rajapaksa be named as the UPFA’s Prime Ministerial candidate at the next general election.
Police had to close the Kurunegala – Dambulla road at the beginning of the rally due to the massive crowd.
Addressing the rally former Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that the UFPA dissidents would move a no faith motion seeking the dissolution of Parliament.
"We did not beg for the premiership for former president Rajapaksa from President Maithripala Sirisena as claimed by some," Weerawansa said, adding it would be decided by the people at a general election.
The NFF leader said the UNP-led government planned to arrest him as well as 10 other former ministers in the near future. "They will go for a general election after arresting most of our MPs, but we will not give up our struggle to bring back Mahinda Rajapaksa," he said.
He said President Sirisena could not satisfy both the UNP and the SLFP and he had to choose one party. At present, President Sirisena was betraying the country in keeping with an international conspiracy. Recent visit of US Secretary of State Kerry had proved that, he claimed.
"The UNP as the ruling party has only 42 MPs in Parliament, but 57 MPs participated in today’s (08) rally, Weerawansa said, adding that only leader who could get the country back on the correct path was Rajapaksa.
Among the UPFA MPs seen at the rally were Dinesh Gunawardena (Colombo), Vasudeva Nanayakkara (Ratnapura), Wimal Weerawansa (Colombo), T. B. Ekanayake (Kurunegala), Salinda Dissanayake (Kurunegala), Tharanath Basnayake (Kurunegala), Nilwala Wijesinghe (Kurunegala), Jayaratne Herath (Kurunegala), Sriyani Wijewickrema (Digamadulla), Weerakumara Dissanayake (Anuradhapura), Ranjit Zoysa (Ratnapura), Manusha Nanayakkara (Galle), Roshan Ranasinghe (Polonnaruwa), Mohan P. de Silva (Galle), V. K. Indika (Hambantota), Nishantha Mutuhettigama (Galle), Chamika Buddadasa (Badulla), Thenuka Vidanagamage (Badulla), Chandrasiri Muthukumarana (Polonnaruwa), Sarana Gunawardena (Gampaha), Sarath Weerasekera (Digamadulla), Abdul Cader (Kandy), Janaka Bandara (National List), Janaka Wakkumbura (Ratnapura), Rohana Dissanayake (Matale), Mahindananda Alutgamage (Kandy), Kumara Welgama (Kalutara), Malini Fonseka (National List), Lohan Ratwatte (Kandy), G. L. Peiris (National List), Dullas Alahapperuma (National List), Y. G. Padmasiri (Kegalle), Jagath Balasuriya (Kegalle), S. M. Chandrasena (Anuradhapura), Jayantha Ketagoda (Colombo), Gamini Lokuge (Colombo), Bandula Gunawardena (Colombo), Arundika Fernando (Puttalam), Shehan Semasinghe (Anuradhapura), Kamala Ranatunga (National List), Rohitha Abeygunawardena (Kalutara), Geethanjana Gunawardena (National List), Dilum Amunugama (Kandy), Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena (Matara), Uditha Lokubandara (Badulla).
Western Province Chief Minister Prsanna Ranatunga, former Chief Minister of North Central Province S. M. Ranjith, all ministers of the North Western Provincial Council and majority of councillors also participated while Chairmen of six local government bodies, out of seven in Polonnaruwa District participated in the rally.
Veteran SLFPer and former Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana, former Governors Tissa R. Balalle and Dr Kumari Balasuriya were also among the participants.
Former Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Bandula Gunawardena, T. B. Ekanayake, Salinda Dissanayke, Jayaratna Herath and Western Provincial Councillor Udaya Gammanpila also spoke at the rally.
Kurunegala District MP Johnston Fernando’s message was read by his son, North Western Provincial Council Member Johan Fernando, as former Minister is in remand prison.
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