• Keerthi Udawatte appointed as Gen. Secy of the Sirisena faction
• Ex. Committee meeting was illegal: MP Dissanayake

 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Chairperson Maithripala Sirisena – who was recently prevented from serving in the said post by court – has resigned from the position, leading to the election of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as the new Party Chairperson by the pro-Sirisena faction.

Meanwhile, following the appointment of Dr. Rajapakshe to the post, Keerthi Udawatte was appointed as General Secretary of the Mithripala fraction of the SLFP.

The Colombo District Court has issued injunctions preventing SLFP Chairperson Sirisena, Acting Chairperson (appointed by the Sirisena-led faction) Dr. Rajapakshe, and Acting General Secretary and Opposition MP Sarathi Dushmantha Mithrapala from serving in the respective posts.

Against this backdrop, the Party's Executive Committee convened at a function hall in Colombo yesterday (12), where Sirisena, Dr. Rajapakshe, Mithrapala, and several others who are representing the Sirisena-led faction were in attendance.

Speaking to The Daily Morning following the Executive Committee meeting, SLFP's Senior Vice President, Prof. Rohana Luxman Piyadasa said that Sirisena has submitted his resignation as Party's Chairperson, citing concerns that various lawsuits against him could impede the SLFP's preparations for the upcoming elections. He (Prof. Piyadasa) further said that Sirisena has however affirmed his commitment to remain involved in the Party's activities.

Following the announcement of Sirisena's resignation as SLFP Chairperson, Prof. Piyadasa said that the Party's Executive Committee members have elected Dr. Rajapakshe as new SLFP Chairperson. "Dr. Rajapakshe was previously elected as SLFP's Acting Chairperson. He was instead elected as Chairperson this time."

Opposition MP Duminda Dissanayake, who has been appointed as SLFP's Acting General Secretary by the faction led by former President and incumbent SLFP Patron Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has meanwhile claimed that the Executive Committee meeting held yesterday has no legal basis. In a letter addressed to SLFP's Senior Vice President Sarath Ekanayake, who is said to have called the meeting, Dissanayake has said that holding such meetings is a violation of injunctions issued by court.

With an interim injunction being issued by the Colombo District Court preventing Sirisena from functioning as the Party Chairperson, a problematic situation arose within the SLFP. The Party then split into two factions led by Sirisena and Kumaratunga. The two factions have been making separate appointments to the Party's key positions such as Acting Chairperson and Secretary, some of which have been challenged before the court.