Sri Lanka’s “independent” parties to launch grand coalition on September 04

ECONOMYNEXT – A collective of eleven former coalition partners of Sri Lanka’s ruling alliance that now sit independently in parliament will form a grand alliance together with other parties on September 04, former minister Wimal Weerawansa said.

Weerawansa told reporters on Monday August 29 that the 11 parties, together with other parties he did not name, will announce the new “historic” coalition at an event to be held at the Maharagama youth centre on September 04.

“It will be a progressive, pro-people coalition founded not just to overcome the present crisis but one that can rise to future challenges as well,” he said.

Asked about the proposed all-party government which has yet to be formed, Weerawansa said leaders of the parties that represent parliament have been unable to come to a consensus on how to help the people out the economic crisis, the worst Sri Lanka has faced since Independence.

He accused the parties of looking out for their individual interests rather than coming up with a plan to solve the crisis.

“That is the tragedy of this country,” he said.

The former Industries Minister, who was sacked from the government of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said there is no point continuing talks with the incumbent government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe about an all-party government.

“We have engaged in discussions [with the government]. There is no point in continuing discussions without coming to a workable programme. We don’t see that happening,” he said.

Weerawansa’s alliance includes former influential members of the Rajapaksa government Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudevaa Nanayakkara.

Nanayakkara has gone on record that he and the Democratic Left Front he leads cannot support Sri Lanka’s “IMF-bound” “caretaker” president.

Related:

Cannot support Sri Lanka’s IMF-bound “caretaker” president: MP Vasudeva N