by Lahiru Doloswala in The Daily Morning, Sept 6, 2023
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), has been rocked by a major split, with General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara being removed from his position and his membership suspended. This move comes after Jayasekara recently revealed that elements within the party are attempting to remove him from his position.
During the Party conference held in Colombo last Sunday (3), Jayasekara indicated that there is an ideological divide within the party, and he intends to address it.
Background
The internal dispute within the SLFP dates back to the time when United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected President by Parliament after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation. Former President Maithripala Sirisena, during a Central Committee meeting, decided that no SLFP member should serve as a minister in Wickremesinghe’s government.
However, some SLFP members defied this decision and joined the Wickremesinghe Government. In response, the SLFP took disciplinary action against them, removing them from the party and stripping them of their positions. Subsequently, the SLFP suspended these disciplinary measures, leading to internal disagreements within the party.
Jayasekara and his faction argued against joining a government lacking public support. They advocated for joining the opposition to form a populist government, engaging in discussions with opposition parties like the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the SLPP breakaway faction Freedom People’s Alliance (FPA).
The recent decision to hold the SLFP party conference in Hettipola—Jayasekara’s constituency—was intended to showcase his influence. However, ‘alleged’ security concerns led to a change in venue to Colombo, despite Jayasekara’s efforts to make the Hettipola conference successful.
https://www.themorning.lk/articles/lGDboRbn7LZxwKBledAU
