Weerakumara Dissanayake and Piyasiri Wijenayake crossover to SLFP

The Deputy Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Weerakumara Dissanayake and former National Organizer of the NFF Piyasiri Wijenayake have obtained SLFP membership from President Maithripala Sirisena.

Weerakumara Dissanayake, Piyasiri Wijenayake and North-Central Provincial Councillor P.B.Kumara obtained membership with the SLFP after meeting with President Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat earlier today (11). 

The three former members of the NFF pledged their support to the President and the political strategy adopted by him. They also declared that they will represent the SLFP at the upcoming Local Government elections. 

Former NFF National Organizer Wijenayake was requested to step down from his post last month and resign as a member of the party.

Wijenayake’s sacking came in the wake of the NFF member repeatedly criticizing party leader, UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa, in the public and when speaking to media. 

Wijenayake and Weerawansa have been exchanging verbal blows ever since the former had said that the sentiments uttered by the party leader, who expressed the need to ‘bomb’ the parliamentary complex, are not shared by the members of the NFF. 
 
Prior to his expulsion, Wijenayake had declared that the National Freedom Front (NFF) would very soon be limited only to a name board and that day is not very far away. 

The NFF National Organizer stated that the quitting of individuals who actively worked for the party is a serious issue. He made these comments while expressing views on the recent resignation of the party’s General Secretary Priyanjith Vitharana.

Wijenayake stated that he came to know about the resignation of the General Secretary of the National Freedom Front only through the media and claimed that there is “a secret we don’t know about” behind the resignation of Priyanjith Vitharana. 

He further stated that the NFF can move forward without the leadership of Wimal Weerawansa and that the party’s annual convention was held while he was in prison with the strength of the secretary and other members.  

Vitharana resigned from his post as the General Secretary citing personal and health reasons on November 22. He was replaced by former Deputy Secretary of the NFF, Attorney-at-Law Kapila Gamage.

Meanwhile MP Weerakumara Dissanayake had said, during a press briefing last week, that he would be taking a decision with regard to his future with the party as he was disappointed.