Abeygunawardena confirms dismissal from SLFP Central Committee

Friday, 17 April 2015 05:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Jayashika Padmasiri and Chamodi Gunawardana Former Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena yesterday announced that he was the latest addition to a list of MPs removed from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s Central Committee. Abeygunawardena confirmed yesterday that he too received a letter notifying him of the decision to sack him from the SLFP Central Committee. A few days ago four other SLFP MPs and former Ministers were removed from the Central Committee and replaced by party colleagues. Nevertheless, soon after this decision was made public it was reported that the SLFP withdrew the letters. However, no official statement has yet

been made about the situation and its details still remain a mystery. On Saturday Bandula Gunawardane, S.M. Chandrasiri, T.B.Ekanayake and Salinda Dissanayake were notified in writing by the SLFP that they were sacked from the party’s Central Committee. Following this announcement it was also revealed that President Maithripala Sirisena as the SLFP President had appointed Ministers Arjuna Ranatunga and Nandimithra Ekanayake and Provincial Councillors Ediriweera Weerawardena, Hirunika Premachandra and Prasanna Solangaarachchi as the latest members of the Central Committee. When the Daily FT questioned SLFP Youth Front Leader and Deputy Minister of Mass Media Shantha Bandara about this situation he was evasive and said that when discipline was present in a party such incidents occurred. “However, we have not taken any decision regarding this situation yet and we will hold discussions within the party about this,” Bandara said. However, when asked whether these letters were issued on the orders of President Sirisena, Bandara said that since the party had not held any discussions about the matter he could not clearly answer this question. All the MPs who were removed from the SLFP Central Committee had openly supported and named former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA’s Prime Ministerial candidate while they also extended their support to the move by certain UPFA MPs to appoint Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Leader and UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardena as the Opposition Leader. In addition, these five MPs, who were sacked from the SLFP Central Committee, were also present at the pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa rally held in Ratnapura on 26 March in disregard of orders given by the SLFP Central Committee prohibiting SLFP MPs from taking part in political rallies organised by other political parties.