56 UPFA MPs want to function as ‘Independents’ in Parliament. With the failure to make Kumara Welgama (Kalutara District) the opposition Leader, they want to split being part of the “National” government.
“We will write to President Sirisena again. This time we will tell him that we will sit as ‘Independents’ in the Opposition. Thereafter, we will demand that one of our nominees is recognised as Speaker since we have the numbers,” National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa has told the Sunday Times. ”
“We had also hoped that President Sirisena would act on our representations but regrettably he has not,” Weerawansa said.
Dinesh Gunawardena, leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), a UPFA partner, claimed that the 56 signatories had obtained prior clearance from President Sirisena to sit in the Opposition. “Of course Sirisena, leader of the UPFA, also told us we cannot return to the Government fold thereafter.”
of the 95 UPFA MPs, 82 are from the SLFP. which means only 13 MPs from the other parties are in the UPFA coalition while the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has 16, so obviously they are now the largest opposition.
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