The new national political force which is to be created under the leadership of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will pose absolutely no challenge to the United National Party (UNP), MP Nalin Bandara said today.

We will be able to see whether there is a political force surrounding Mahinda Rajapaksa at the next election, he said. “I know that the forces around him will never be able to form a government.”

He claimed that the former President’s only intention is to exact revenge from President Maithripala Sirisena and to impede his work. 

Bandara said that it is an internal problem of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) with regard to grabbing power and that this so called “political force” of Mahinda Rajapaksa will pose no challenge to the government or the UNP. 

Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo, he said that Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka joining the UNP will strengthen the party and that the number of votes he received at the last general election should not be compared with his presence.

He stated that Fonseka took a “wrong political decision” when he contested separately at the parliamentary polls and that apart from that the ex-army general has a broad acceptance and voter base in the country. 

Bandara said that the labels of ‘pro-LTTE’ and ‘anti-war’ constantly hurled at the UNP by opposing political parties can no longer be used when Sarath Fonseka is in the party.