The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has asked eight of its suspended members to a meeting of the party’s central committee on 14 July.
Party chairman Maithripala Sirisena has invited Nimal Siripala de Silva, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Jagath Pushpakumara, Suren Raghavan, Chamara Sampath Dissanayake, Shantha Bandara and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya to the meeting at SLFP headquarters starting at 6 pm.
The CC meeting will be followed by a convention of the SLFP’s Samastha Lanka Karaka Sabha on the following morning.
Ex-leader Chandrika Kumaratunga has been invited for neither event.
Sirisena’s predicament
Adopting a new constitution, the SLFP suspended the eight renegades from party membership in 2022.
Incumbent leader Sirisena is in a dilemma following a notification by the Election Commission to act in accordance with the party’s old constitution.
That follows a court case filed by former vice president Nimal Siripala de Silva against his removal from the party position for having joined the government with a ministerial portfolio.
De Silva received an order from the civil appellate court to the SLFP to act as per its old constitution, which the party challenged at the Supreme Court.
Pending the ruling on the appeal by the SLFP, the Election Commission told the party to follow its old constitution.
For further details on Sirisena’s predicament, watch the video below:
