SLFP members representing the Joint Opposition today strongly rejected President Maithripala Sirisena’s participation and the speech delivered by him at the 70th anniversary celebration as the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). 

UPFA MP Dullas Alahapperuma urged the President and other leaders of the SLFP not to give a “hand” to the “elephant” and to take the elephant goad (Henduwa) to “the hand”.

He also said that the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Ban Ki-moon used some very serious words yesterday, in his final address as the UN chief to the opening session of the General Debate, when he spoke about “a new union” with regard to Sri Lanka.

"In Myanmar, the transition has entered a promising new phase. In Sri Lanka, post-war healing efforts have deepened. In both countries, true reconciliation rests on ensuring that all communities, minorities and majorities alike, are included in building a new union," Ban had said. 

“The cat’s out of the bag,” Alahapperuma said. 

He added that all responsible individuals were mum when the UN Secretary-General had compared Sri Lanka’s war to the massacres in Rwanda and Bosnia, during his Sri Lanka visit.

The MP said that they expect Maithripala Sirisena to give a suitable response to these comments when he addresses the UN as Sri Lanka’s head of state later today. 

The massive conspiracy which is acting behind this should be uncovered to the country, he said.