A tense evening for SLFP…

FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2016

A decisive meeting of the Central Committee of the SLFP chaired by its president President Maithripala Sirisena is to be held today (12th) evening and eight persons who have violated party discipline would be sacked say reports.

Former president of the party Mahinda Rajapaksa had, at various occasions, said that he was prepared to accept the leadership of a new political party and the breakup of the SLFP is unavoidable. As such, the eight persons have to be sacked in a bid to protect the SLFP say party sources.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa has arranged to open a separate party office at Battaramulla today.

Among the members that would be sacked from the SLFP are former ministers Bandula Gunawardene, Kumara Welgama, Rohitha Abeygunawardene and Prasanna Ranatunga. It is also revealed that a group including Dilum Amunugama too would be included in this list.

It is revealed that the move to sack them is taken in a bid to decisively defeat the attempt to create a new party with the leadership of Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to political sources President Maithripala Sirisena, as the president of the SLFP, would begin taking strong decisions regarding discipline of the party with this step.

Several seniors of the SLFP have already stated that the attempt to control the SLFP by persons such as Wimal Weerawansa, Dinesh Gunawardene, Udaya Gammanpila, Vasudeva Nanayakkara who are not members of the SLFP cannot be further tolerated. As such, the meeting of the SLFP Central Committee scheduled to be held today evening would be a very tense affair.