SLFP removes 6 MPs from party positions 

• Removal comes after group accepted Govt. posts in violation of SLFP stance
• SLFP says offending MPs now informed in writing of disciplinary action against them
• Party General Secretary claims SLFP has not decided to expel them entirely yet

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has removed six of its Parliamentarians from all positions they hold in the party for accepting Ministerial portfolios under the current Government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

SLFP party Chairman Maithripala Sirisena has maintained that it has been the party’s stance to only accept Government positions under an all-party interim Government and these six MPs have violated the decision taken by the party. 

Accordingly, the party has now informed the six MPs including senior vice presidents of the party, Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera, party Treasurer Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Deputy Secretaries Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, and Jagath Pushpakumara in writing that they have been removed from all posts of the party and from the membership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Central Committee. 

SLFP General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said no decision has been taken to expel the group from the party but added this was merely the first step in taking disciplinary action against them. State Ministers Shantha Bandara and Suren Raghavan, who accepted positions in the Government, were also removed from the positions they held in the party on a previous occasion. 

In early September, the All-Island Working Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) unanimously approved the proposed amendments to the party’s Constitution seeking major reforms in the party’s disciplinary code. The reforms now enable the party leadership to take immediate action against those violating party decisions.