Dayasiri says he does not rejoice in the court injunction against Sirisena

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) dissident MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has said that he does not rejoice in the court injunction against former President Maithripala Sirisena banning him from holding the post of SLFP Chairman.

“Of course, he has made mistakes. He removed me from the post of General Secretary and ever since he has been making a series of mistakes. If I had been the General Secretary he would not have been in this mess. The Court decision against him, however, is disastrous for the party,” he said.

Jayasekera added that the manner in which Sirisena removed ministers Mahinda Amaraweera et al did not reflect well on the party.

“SLFP is now in crisis. Those who were around Sirisena are now leaving him.”

The MP said that the SLPP Central Committee can appoint an Interim Chairman and the SLFP General Secretary has the power to convene it. Former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga filed the case against Sirisena. “I think she will play an active role in appointing a new Interim Chairman,” he added.

Jayasekera said that among Sirisena’s closest allies are people who associate with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on a daily basis. Those are the people that destroyed the party by misleading Sirisena.

“These people wanted the SLFP to support the Ranil Wickremesinghe government. Sirisena was against this.”

Jayasekera added that it was a mistake for Sirisena to declare that he was aware of who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019. Concealing evidence is a serious crime.

The dissident SLFP MP said that it was too early for him to throw his weight behind any candidate in the coming election. “No one has declared their policies yet. Let’s see. I am keen on being a part of the coming elections,” he said.