15.3.2008
Photo
- Lakbima
Former
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga who did
not participate in any of the party meetings headed by
President Mahinda Rajapakse after he overpowered her,
participated in the SLFP All Island Committee meeting
held yesterday (14) in Temple Trees.
Ms.
Bandaranaike was removed from the party leadership on
her birthday but she was appointed a party adviser.
Ms.
Bandaranaike sat close to the President Mahinda Rajapakse
together with Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka,
D.M. Jayarathna, Maithripala Sirisena, Nimal Siripa de
Silva and John Senevirathna in the main table. She did
not utter a word at the meeting although she chatted warmly
with the President and the party leaders.
SLFP
senior Vice President Nimal Siripala de Silva proposed
to grant a representation each to the Sri Lanka Freedom
Graduates' Organization and Sri Lanka Freedom Professionals'
Organization in the central committee. Minister John Senevirathna
proposed that the SLFP would support the All Party Representative
Committee proposals to solve the ethnic problem. Minister
D. M. Jayarathna seconded both proposals.
Ms.
Kumarathunga abstained from voting to both the proposals.
She lacked glamour and only a few traditional friends
of Bandaranaike family such as Former SLFP Treasurer Kingsley
Wickramarathna and Western Province Governor Alevi Mawlana
came to chat with her.
Her
former close associates such as UPFA General Secretary
Susil Prema Jayantha, Anuruddha Rathwaththa and Lasantha
Alagiyawanna were seen evading chatting with her.
President
Mahinda Rajapakse addressing the meeting said that the
SLFP could not be defeated by conspiracies and it is proceeding
in right path as a massive political party. He did not
forget to salute the former President in his speech and
said the attempts to destroy the party through assassination
of former Premier S.W.R. D. Bandaranaike, suspension of
civic and political rights of Ms. Sirima Bandaranaike
and attempted murder of Ms. Chandrika Kumarathunga failed
and all of them provided leadership to the party.
Courtesy
LeN