News
Welgama on why he parted ways with the Rajapaksas
View(s):Says he plans to bring left parties under one umbrella
By Sandun Jayawardana
When the Rajapaksas formed the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Mr Welgama worked towards its victory but refused to join the party.
“For 2 1/2 years, I worked in Badulla because there was no one to work there. Most had joined the Yahapalana government. But we managed to bring a great victory for the SLPP at the 2018 local council election. A tea party was held at Mahinda Rajapaksa’s residence to celebrate the victory. It was while we were seated at the table that Mr Rajapaksa informed us that Gotabaya Rajapaksa would be our presidential candidate.”
The announcement was particularly vexing for Mr Welgama as according to him, Mahinda Rajapaksa had promised him earlier that no other members of “the family” would be introduced to politics. Voters had formed a negative opinion of people like Namal and Basil Rajapaksa, and this had contributed to Mr Rajapaksa’s defeat at the last presidential election. “He promised me no one else will be brought in, but then he went ahead and announced his brother as the presidential candidate. That was the day I decided that I would form my own political party.”
That new party, known as the Nawa Lanka Freedom Party (NLFP) now has a multi-storey head office in the middle of Battaramulla. While Mr Welgama leads the party, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga plays an active role. She opened the new party head office recently.
When we met Mr Welgama at the Battaramulla office, he was busy holding meetings with party officials and said they were working to bring together leftist parties and groups under one umbrella. “We will not accept those who robbed and engaged in corruption. But all others are welcome. I believe 3/4 of those from the SLPP too will join us as soon as Parliament is dissolved,” he predicted.
Mr Welgama does not claim that the NLFP represents the “real” SLFP.
“The real SLFP is the SLFP. We accept that. But I don’t believe Maithripala Sirisena can safeguard the SLFP and move forward. The party is already split.”
He said the SLFP should move forward under the leadership of Ms Kumaratunga and claimed a majority of SLFPers were in favour of this.
While he contested the 2020 parliamentary election on the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) ticket, the former minister now functions as an independent in Parliament. He denied there was any quarrel between him and the SJB. “Sajith Premadasa allowed me to register my party. In that sense, he is a good and honest man. I have no quarrel with the SJB but I am a leftist. If I am to recruit other leftists to my party, I must go my own way.”
Mr Welgama was a staunch critic of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the moment he was announced as the presidential candidate. “Mr Rajapaksa was an army man and running a civil administration is completely different,” the veteran politician asserted.
“I also believe that anyone coming to politics must spend some time at least as a Pradeshiya Sabha member. Without even that basic experience, you cannot expect to go forward in politics. I had been the SLFP’s Agalawatta organiser for 40 years. That is my biggest qualification. It is even better than a university education. That was why I kept saying that Gotabaya could not do this and that he would end up a failure.”
Mr Welgama acknowledged that he voted for Ranil Wickremesinghe during the election held in Parliament to choose a successor for Gotabaya Rajapaksa. “The truth is that I don’t’ see anyone else except him who can do the job. Others are afraid to take on the responsibility.”
The former minister was viciously beaten during the violence on May 9 and spent time in hospital, but does not blame those involved in the struggle for what happened. “It was not those involved in the real ‘aragalaya’ who attacked me. They went home after Gotabaya was ousted. Those who attacked me are part of a blood thirsty fringe group which was trying to take power through violence under the guise of the struggle,” he insisted.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!