Police had summoned both factions
BOTH FACTIONS LOCK GATES
To meet today to resolve issues
The Acting Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, MP Sarathi Dushmantha Mithrapala who attempted to enter into the SLFP Party Headquarters at Darley Road, Maradana yesterday (09) morning, was denied entry into the premises.
MP Mithrapala who arrived at the SLFP Party Headquarters was not allowed to enter into the Party Headquarters by Police due to Acting SLFP Chairman Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and his faction not being present at the premises.
The Maradana Police had summoned former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s faction and former President Maithripala Sirisena’s faction of the SLFP to come to the party headquarters yesterday morning at 10 am to resolve the crisis in the sealed SLFP headquarters.
Accordingly, the Acting Secretary General of SLFP MP Mithrapala and a group of former President Maithripala Sirisena’s faction arrived at the premises at 10am, but nobody from former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s faction arrived as requested by Police.
A heated argument ensued with the police officers as a result of not allowing MP Mithrapala to enter into the party headquarters and MP Mithrapala speaking to the media said that he is the custodian of the SLFP headquarters building and nobody else should be handed over the keys to the premises.
He further said that he arrived at the party headquarters to explain to the police about the damage caused by sealing the party headquarters and to grant leave and give salaries to the staff on duty and party workers for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year but was denied entry by the police citing Chandrika Bandaranaike’s faction not being present to resolve the crisis between both factions.
The denial to enter into the party headquarters resulted in MP Mithrapala putting another padlock on the already padlocked gate of the SLFP headquarters building by the Chandrika Bandaranaike faction before which means in order to enter into the party premises, both factions have to be present at the same time to open the two padlocks. MP Mithrapala said they had waited for a very long time near the SLFP headquarters until former President Chandrika Bandaranaike’s faction arrived as requested by the police and he has requested the OIC and Maradana ASP to conduct an impartial investigation regarding this conflict.
However, the National Organizer of the SLFP MP Duminda Dissanayake said that the Maradana Police had requested both parties of SLFP to come to the party headquarters on Monday (8) to resolve the crisis, and since MP Mithrapala and others had informed that it is difficult for them to come on Monday, Police has informed both factions to arrive at party headquarters yesterday and that they had a difficulty to participate in the discussion yesterday. MP Duminda Dissanayake further said that he has informed Police that they will arrive at the party headquarters for the discussion today (10) at 10am.
Sirisena and family leave for Bangkok amidst SLFP turmoil
K. G. Kapila
Former President Maithripala Sirisena and family left for a visit to Thailand yesterday, an officer at the Katunayake airport said.He said Sirisena was accompanied by nine other persons.
The group had left for Bangkok, Thailand on Thai Airways flight TG-308.
The former President’s Thailand visit comes at a time when his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is facing a crisis.
Courts issued an interim order recently preventing Sirisena from functioning as the SLFP leader, following a case filed by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The SLFP politburo on Monday appointed Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva as acting SLFP Chairman.
SLFP’s Acting General Secretary Dushmantha Mithrapala told the media later that the appointment of Nimal Siripala de Silva as acting SLFP Chairman and convening a politburo meeting was illegal and the party will take action against the move.
Varuna Dayaratne
