Grand alliance runs into snag

By Tharindu Prematillake &
Ishtartha Wellaboda

The making of the second grand opposition alliance has run into a snag with various parties expressing contradicting views.
United National Front (UNF) General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said his party has not yet made any request to General Sarath Fonseka to join their party to contest in the upcoming general election. Referring to reports published yesterday he said that though his party would welcome Fonseka, if he wishes to contest, they are yet to hold official discussions on the matter.
When asked whether there was a possibility for the ‘swan’ to return for the general election, Attanayake said the alliance was a result of the three parties, the UNF, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukti Peramuna (JVP) extending their support to Fonseka and that whether that same alliance would be practical for the purpose of the general election was yet to be discussed.
Attanayake also said that his party, the UNF, has not yet come to a definite decision on how they will contest the general election and that the party’s working committee will come to a decision most probably after the government announces a general election. “However, our priority at the moment is the election petition and the fundamental rights petition. We have resorted to these actions because we refuse to accept the results of last week’s Presidential election as true and just results,” he said.
However, Attanayake stressed the fact that in the case of a general election his party, the UNF, was prepared to contest as one entity.
Referring to the comments made by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), which is a crucial party within the UNF, where the SLMC has presented the concept of an alliance with all minority parties, Attanayake said that they were yet to commence discussions with their former allies as their main priority as of now was the election petition and the issues pertaining the harassment faced by Fonseka and his supporters and that the support of all the parties that supported Fonseka for the Presidential elections were with them on this regard.
He also said the SLMC has not yet given them any formal statement regarding such an alliance or their willingness to quit the UNF.
However, contradicting Attanayake, Leader of the Democratic People’s Front (DPF) and member of the United National Front (UNF) Mano Ganesan said the UNF has held talks with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) on the possibility of forging an alliance for the upcoming general election.
When questioned on the possible party name and symbol, if the JVP joins the UNF, Ganesan said, “The name of the party or the symbol that we join under is not important. If the JVP joins us then we will have a ‘grand alliance.’” Ganesan said that there is reason to be hopeful of an opposition coalition after the recent talks between the UNF and JVP.
Furthermore, he said that opposition Presidential candidate, General Sarath Fonseka, will continue to be a part of the UNF or any future alliance that the UNF forges.
Questioned on whether the DPF is willing to join a possible minority party alliance, that includes the SLMC, TNA and other minority parties, Ganesan said, “I have no intention of joining such an alliance. I do not think that we need to marginalise ourselves by creating a minority alliance, because I believe in working together with all communities, and that includes the Sinhala majority as well.”