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Mahinda, Anura exchange heavy fire over Fowzie
By Harinda Vidanage
A move to oust former minister A.H.M Fowzie from the SLFP has split the party right down the middle with an angry battle erupting again between Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse and former Speaker Anura Bandaranaike.

Mr. Bandaranaike, now an advisor to President Kumaratunga, is known to be spearheading the move to fire Mr. Fowzie for breaching party discipline but Mr. Rajapakse and other senior members are rallying behind Mr. Fowzie.

Mr. Bandaranaike told The Sunday Times that Mr. Fowzie had made provocative statements against President Kumaratunga and was also responsible for the defeat of the PA in the recently concluded Colombo Municipal Council elections and therefore should be expelled from the party.

But opposition leader Rajapakse dismissed Mr. Bandaranaike's views as being totally baseless, saying the former Speaker who came back to the SLFP ranks only recently had no right to make such charges against a senior member.

Mr. Rajapakse praised Mr. Fowzie, saying he had worked untiringly to bring about a PA victory in as many as 11 elections - an apparent hint at Mr. Bandaranaike who had been on the side of the defeated UNP in all those elections.

The Opposition Leader said several PA members were angry about the remarks made by Mr. Bandaranaike whom himself could be chargesheeted for what he had said about President Kumaratunga before he came back to the SLFP last year. The Sunday Times learns that PA General Secretary D.M. Jayaratne is also opposed to the move to remove Mr. Fowzie from the party.

Mr. Fowzie told The Sunday Times the party was underestimating the political worth of its members. He recalled how former premier Sirima Bandaranaike had said they could build the SLFP if they had five members like Mr. Fowzie.

Mr. Fowzie said he advocated the national government concept in the best interest of the country. He said he believed that by losing S. B. Dissanayake and G. L. Peris, the PA lost the government and he had fears about the party's future because it was trying to drive away other members also. According to Mr. Fowzie, many PA MPs have visited him and expressed solidarity and appreciation of what he had done.

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