What would happen if the gamarala loses his grip? asks Mahinda

The decision by several Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members to work together with the ruling United National Party (UNP) is unacceptable, says former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The observation was made during a meeting organised by a group of SLFP local council members in Negombo on Sunday (14).

Quoting the Sinhala folk tale of the ‘gamarala’ going to the heaven, Rajapaksa said “they are trying to see the heaven by hanging on to the elephant’s tail. What would happen if the gamarala loses his grip?”

He claimed that over 95 per cent of SLFP local council members have attended today’s meeting.

The former President also stressed that he gave up the chairmanship of the SLFP following the last Presidential election because he had no intention to take steps to split the party. “He got the chairmanship from me using executive powers,” he added. 

The meeting had been organised after the Central Committee of the SLFP has decided to suspend the party membership of several local government members with immediate effect, it was reported. The committee had decided to commence disciplinary inquiries regarding the local councilors for allegedly acting against the party and its leadership.