Court order preventing removal of Amaraweera and others from SLFP posts extended

The court order preventing the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) from ousting its members Mahinda Amaraweera, Duminda Dissanayake, and Lasantha Alagiyawanna from their respective party positions has been extended.

Accordingly, the interim injunction will be in place until 08 May on the orders of the Colombo District Court.

Colombo District Judge Sandun Withana delivered this extension when a plaint filed by the three MPs was taken up this morning (24).

A group of individuals including former President Maithripala Sirisena and Acting General Secretary of SLFP Sarathi Dushmantha Mithrapala have been named as respondents of the relevant plaints, which have sought an order declaring that the decision taken by the party’s executive committee to expel them without any disciplinary investigation to be unlawful.

The Executive Committee of the SLFP decided to remove Dissanayake, Alagiyawanna and Amaraweera from their respective positions in the party, during a special party meeting held on March 30.

Accordingly, Dissanayake was stripped of his post as the National Organizer, Alagiyawanna was removed as the Treasurer and Amaraweera as the Senior Vice President.

Meanwhile, SLFP also appointed a new Senior Vice President, a Treasurer and a National Organizer after the trio was stripped of their respective positions.

Thereby, SLFP’s Mahiyanganaya Constituency Organizer K. P. Gunawardena was appointed to the post of National Organizer, former Western Provincial Minister Hector Bethmage as the Treasurer and former Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake as the Senior Vice President.

This decision was communicated to SLFP members during a special party meeting convened by the Chairman of the SLFP, former President Maithripala Sirisena, amidst the controversy of his statements regarding the Easter attacks’ masterminds.