The National Freedom Front (NFF), led by Wimal Weerawansa, has decided not to contest in the upcoming general elections. In a statement released today, Weerawansa highlighted the importance of protecting the current government and fulfilling the people’s expectations. He stated that he is not willing to take on the role of the opposition, which he believes would undermine the people’s will.
Part of his statement reads:
“The people have already elected a president through a free and peaceful election. However, before the election, some foreign countries warned their citizens about visiting Sri Lanka, showing that certain foreign forces hostile to Sri Lanka did not expect such an outcome. They hoped to create conflict and push Sri Lanka toward a situation similar to what happened in Bangladesh.
Wimal thanks to the govt.
Thanks to the awareness and actions of the people, government officials, and political forces, this threat was avoided. We sincerely thank the Honorable President and the JVP for their efforts in preventing such a crisis.
As a movement rooted in anti-imperialism and respecting the heritage of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), we are committed to protecting the mandate that brought the President to power and supporting the aspirations of the people who created it. Establishing a government with a simple majority in the upcoming general election is essential to face the challenges ahead. This would limit the influence of separatist and extremist religious groups on the government.
Unrepresented forces in the government and those in the opposition are left with two choices. One is to support the imperialist agenda by acting as the traditional opposition. The other is to guide and lobby the government in a way that reflects the people’s expectations.
Believe that working outside parliament will have a greater impact
Some might say that supporting the government is a sign of weakness, but we see it as essential for representing the majority’s opinion. We believe that working outside parliament will have a greater impact than acting within it.
Entering the parliamentary election as a traditional party could create conflict between the people’s expectations and our goals. Therefore, we have decided not to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, either as an independent party or in alliance with others.”
In this statement, Wimal Weerawansa emphasized his party’s focus on maintaining stability and upholding the people’s mandate rather than seeking political power through the upcoming elections.
