The Colombo District Court has issued an interim order against the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) decision to expel Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara from the Party membership and the post of the General Secretary.

Jayasekara had sought an order revoking the decisions taken by the Party to oust him from the position he held within the Party. Jayasekara had filed the complaint before the Court, challenging the decision taken by the SLFP to expel him as the Party’s General Secretary and a letter directed by the Party’s then-Chairperson and incumbent Opposition MP Maithripala Sirisena which mentioned that a disciplinary inquiry would be conducted against Jayasekara and asked him to provide excuses to defend himself. 

On 5 September of last year (2023), Jayasekara was ousted from the SLFP with immediate effect and he was stripped of his position as the Party’s General Secretary. Sirisena communicated this to Jayasekara in a letter, adding that a disciplinary inquiry would also be initiated against Jayasekara pursuant to the provisions of the Party’s constitution. However, addressing concerns pertaining to Jayasekara’s removal, former President Sirisena had stated that the Party membership was only temporarily suspended. He further asserted that the SLFP was ready to accept Jayasekara as a Party member, or to any other title he may wish to hold within the Party, except for that of the SLFP General Secretary.