Battle for SLFP leadership gets down and dirty

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva was appointed as the Acting Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) when a section of the politburo of the Party held a meeting yesterday (08) at its Headquarters at Darley Road.

Those who gathered yesterday also entrusted the duties of the SLFP Secretary to SLFP National Organiser Duminda Dissanayake.

“The party’s Senior Vice Chairman Nimal Siripala de Silva convened this meeting with 06 out of 11 politburo members, registered with the Elections Commission present. We have decided to appoint Minister Silva, who is one of the most senior leaders of the party, as Acting Chairman,” SLFP National Organiser Dissanayake said, adding that the SLFP’s political fortunes had ebbed in the last few years because party Chairman, Maithripala Sirisena had amended the SLFP Constitution for self-aggrandisement.

“We also decided to change the SLFP Constitution. We appointed a committee, led by a President’s Counsel, to change the Constitution.”

Dissanayake said former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who was also present, too, had been sidelined by Sirisena although she was a mentor of the party.

“So, we decided to invite her to the meeting. She came as an observer. We have also decided to create a new post for the SLFP, that is a position of party leader,” he said.

Earlier, Acting Secretary of the SLFP, Sarathi Dushmantha had refused to convene a politburo meeting following a request made by Minister Silva. Dushmantha was not present at yesterday’s meeting.

“Minister Silva asked Dushmantha to call for a meeting. He however refused to convene a meeting, violating the SLFP Constitution. The politburo, which met on Monday, decided to hand over his duties to me. I will coordinate things with the Election Commission from now on,” Dissanayake said.

Kumaratunga said that everyone had asked her to contest the 2015 presidential election.

“Instead, I brought in Sirisena with a lot of hope. However, he destroyed the country and the SLFP. I have rectified the mistake I made a decade ago,” she said.

Kumaratunga insisted that minister Silva was the best person to head the SLFP.

Meanwhile, former SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera said that the politburo meeting that took place on Monday was unconstitutional. The party Constitution stipulated that the politburo comprise 15 members, he said.

“This includes the Chairman, the General Secretary and 13 people chosen from the Central Committee. Someone who is not in the Central Committee can’t become a politburo member. The Politburo can’t convene without the Chairman. Any politburo meeting without the Chairman and the General Secretary is not constitutional. Therefore, Monday’s meeting was not legal,” he said.

Meanwhile, Colombo District Court extended the interim injunction order preventing the SLFP Executive Committee from removing Duminda Dissanayake, Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Mahinda Amaraweera from their positions in the party until 24 April.