The United Left Front (ULF) formed by breakaway groups of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, the Communist Party and the Democratic Left Front, will contest the upcoming general elections with the UNP led alliance, its chairman Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne said.
In a statement issued to the media, the ULF said that it will align itself with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) breakaway faction which “is opposed to the candidature of Mahinda Rajapaksa.”
“The United Left Front (ULF) which was formed by sections of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and the Democratic Left Front supported the Common Candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, at the last Presidential election. It has decided to align itself with the section of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party that is opposed to the candidature of Mahinda Rajapaksa” the statement said.
It that despite the alliance it intends to maintain its ‘political identity’, and has decided to join the alliance in order to prevent the re-emergence of ‘authoritarianism’.
“Accordingly, while maintaining its separate political identity, the United Left Front will contest the forthcoming Parliamentary elections under the umbrella of the United National Front for Good Governance in order to consolidate the victory of 08 January and prevent the re-emergence of the authoritarian regime that the people of Sri Lanka defeated,” the statement said.
Keerthi Kariyawasam, a member of the Western Provincial Council, will contest from the Kalutara District while Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne and Raja Uswetakeiyawa will be on the national list of the United National Front for Good Governance, the statement added.