An enjoining order was issued against the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Justice Minister Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and acting General Secretary Keerthi Udawatte, preventing them from functioning in their positions in the party.
Colombo District Court Judge Sandhun Vithana issued the enjoining order against Rajapakshe and Udawatte today after taking up for consideration a petition filed by MP Duminda Dissanayake against the two SLFP members.
The move comes after the court had previously (May 16) dismissed the petition filed by Duminda Dissanayake, who was appointed Acting General Secretary of the SLFP.
Dissanayake had sought a court order preventing any obstruction being made towards him, and the Acting Chairman of the SLFP, Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva from engaging in party activities.
However, last week, an enjoining order was also issued by the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court preventing all factions from disrupting the newly elected Chairman Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Acting General Secretary Keerthi Udawatte, and the politburo of the SLFP from functioning in their respective roles.
The SLFP has faced a crisis after the faction led by former president and chairman Maithripala Sirisena clashed with the other faction led by former SLFP leader and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.
The party saw the appointment of Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and Nimal Siripala de Silva as Acting Chairmen by their respective factions, following a court order that prevented former President Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the SLFP Leader.
Several court orders were issued, thereafter, preventing the newly appointed Chairman Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe from functioning as the SLFP Acting Chairman.
However, following the resignation of Maithripala Sirisena from the post of SLFP Chairman, the Executive Committee unanimously voted to appoint Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as the new Chairman and Attorney-at-Law Keerthi Udawatte as Acting General Secretary of the party. (Newswire)