Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has no legal barriers to function as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), according to a communique issued by his team.
Earlier today, an enjoining order that was issued against Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, preventing him from functioning as the SLFP Acting Chairman, was extended by the Colombo District Court.
The Rajapakshe faction asserts that the case is now void as former President Maithripala Sirisena resigned as the Chairman of the Party, with Wijedasa Rajapakshe being unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Party.
The Rajapakshe faction clarified that the case was filed against Rajapakshe functioning as the SLFP Acting Chairman, but was now void as he currently serves as the Chairman of the SLFP.
The Colombo District Court today extended until June 27 the enjoining order against Rajapakshe after the petition filed by SLFP member MP Duminda Dissanayake was taken up for consideration.
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 of the party, in which role capacity he currently functions. (Newswire)