The Colombo District Court yesterday (04) issued an interim injunction preventing former President and incumbent Opposition Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
The order was delivered following a complaint filed by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Sirisena meanwhile said that he expects to present facts before the Court with regard to the interim injunction issued by the Colombo DC, preventing him from functioning as the Chairperson of the SLFP.
Speaking to the media last evening, Sirisena said: “I got to know in the afternoon that Kumaratunga has obtained an interim injunction to remove me from the Chairpersonship (of the SLFP). I only saw in the media that the injunction is effective until 18 April.”
He also said that he has not been officially informed of the order in writing as of yet.
“These types of challenges are not new in the history of the SLFP. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the late Vijaya Kumaratunga, and the late Anura Bandaranaike, have all separated from the SLFP and formed new parties.”
“After the late Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike’s civic rights were stripped in 1977, we had to remain in the Opposition for 17 years due to such actions by them.”
“Regardless of the challenges that we face, we, as a steadfast group within the SLFP, will conduct future political activities independently of the Ruling Party.”
“In the future, we will present the facts before the Court and also inform the people of the exact situation,” Sirisena expressed.
Meanwhile, former National Organiser of the SLFP, Opposition Parliamentarian Duminda Dissanayake said that they are inviting everyone to join a new journey with the SLFP.
MPs Dissanayake, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, and Mahinda Amaraweera, who were recently removed from their respective positions within the Party, had called a ‘SLFP’ press conference yesterday, against a backdrop where a Court order was issued preventing Sirisena from functioning as the Party’s Chairperson.
The press conference was held at the SLFP Headquarters in Colombo 10.
Speaking further, they emphasised: “Kumaratunga had resorted to legal action as she could not wait and see this destruction (of the SLFP). Accordingly, an injunction has been issued on Sirisena, preventing him from functioning as the Party’s Chairperson.”
(themorning.lk)
