The Sri Lanka Freedom Party has reportedly launched a ‘charm offensive’ to win the full support of the smaller constituent parties of the United People’s Freedom Alliance, in the backdrop of rumors of an early presidential election.

The UPFA is currently composed of the SLFP and a number of smaller parties. Several of these had differences with the SLFP in the last few months, bringing forth some serious differences within the alliance to the public.

The parties said to be targets of this ‘charm offensive’ include left-wing parties such as the LSSP, Communist Party and Left Democratic Front. The list also includes the National Freedom Front and Jathika Hela Urumaya, the Ceylon Workers’ Congress and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.

Serious differences with these parties arose especially after the June incidents in Aluthgama when the SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem publicly expressed his displeasure at the government’s conduct. The left parties have been accusing the government of not doing enough to promote reconciliation and the NFF and Jathika Hela Urumaya have been also criticizing the government on various shortcomings.