Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has accused the top rung leadership of the United National Party of attempting to divide the Sri Lanka Freedom Party by deliberately promoting the campaign to position Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Ministerial Candidate of the SLFP.
CBK, who is now playing the Sonia Gandhi at the SLFP headquarters, is of the view that the UNP is trying to gain an edge at the next general election by dividing the SLFP vote. She, according to highly placed political sources, has already taken measures to prevent the SLFP from granting nomination to Rajapaksa to contest the next General Election under the SLFP ticket. CBK has taken over the dual roles as the Head of policy planning and Head of the re-organization programme of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
According to CBK's calculation, if the Rajapaksa factor comes into play at the next Parliamentary election, it will reduce the SLFP share in the country's legislature. "That is exactly why," she says, "the UNP wants to promote the Rajapaksas and create a division in the SLFP. They think that will ensure a large Parliamentary stake for the UNP."
Meanwhile, Jathika Hela Urumaya Chairman Athuraliye Rathana Thera recently alleged that the government is not penalizing allies of Mahinda Rajapaksa for their earlier wrongdoings as the UNP wants Rajapaksa to remain strong.
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