 | | | Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera with JVP members |
Former foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera and former minister Sripathi Sooriyarachcho who sat with the opposition in Parliament on Tuesday said they are forming a new political party. Crossing over to opposition ranks they said in a statement that the launching of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Mahajana Wing) will be on Friday the 22nd June 2007 by paying floral tribute at the Bandaranaike Samadiya at Horogolla. In a letter addressed to the speaker of parliament they said: "The main coalition partner of the United Peoples' Freedom Alliance UPFA) Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), has seen its principles and political philosophy betrayed by the present Government. They have rejected the party's centrist policies and aretaking our country in an extreme direction" They said that they are totally opposed to this path of extremism and in order to protect the principles of the SLFP,they have decided to sit in the Opposition benches of Parliament as MPs of the UPFA. We shall represent the Mahajana Wing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the MPs said.
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