The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) celebrated its fourth anniversary yesterday. Known by everyone as Pohottuwa, the SLPP has already captured the ruling power of the entire country. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa led the Pohottuwa and succeeded in obtaining a two-thirds majority in the Parliamentary Election 2020.
The SLPP was formed based on the people’s attraction to Mahinda Rajapaksa subsequent to his defeat at the Presidential Election in 2015. Its initial members were the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Parliamentarians, Provincial Council Members and the Local Government Institutions and its activists.
The SLPP came into being based on the registered political party, Sri Lanka Jathika Peramuna (SLJP), the leader of which was Wimal Geegayanage and the Sri Lanka Nidahas Peramuna (SLNP).
The SLPP, of which the symbol was the flower bud or Pohottuwa, was officially established on November 1, 2016. The present Party Leader is the fifth Executive President, present Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Chairman is present Education Minister and Prof. G. L. Peiris, while Parliamentarian and Attorney-at-Law Sagara Kariyawasam serves as its Secretary.
Subsequent to the 2015 Presidential Election, allegations were levelled against Basil Rajapaksa that he caused the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Basil Rajapaksa said that if anyone was blaming him, he would accept the responsibility of bringing his brother back into power.
The Government of Good Governance, which was aware that Basil was born to successfully handle the election machine, imprisoned him from time to time on false allegations.
Basil Rajapaksa created the SLPP symbol, while he was in prison. At first, there was a doubt whether anyone would join the Party, but with Basil Rajapaksa, with increasing number of branches and the people who loved Mahinda Rajapaksa, the party membership began to grow.
Six months subsequent to establishing the Party, the May Day celebrations at the Galle Face on May 1, 2017, made Basil Rajapaksa’s dream come true by attracting a massive crowd to the rally.
From then, the Pohottuwa received immense strength from the public. Thus began the end of the Government of Good Governance. Thereafter, the SLPP progressed in leaps and bounds, which led them to winning the Local Government Elections, the Presidential Election and ultimately, the Parliamentary Elections 2020.
Chandana Bandara
President, Progressive Workers’ Union
Lake House affiliated to the Sri Lanka
Podujana Peramuna
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