We were not allowed to comment on this, they say
Allege not even one-fourth of members voted for it
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Duminda Dissanayake MP said they will take legal action against their removal from the posts they held in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
They were speaking at a media briefing held at the party headquarters at Darley Road on Saturday.
Minister Amaraweera explaining what transpired during Saturday’s meeting where the party leadership had announced the removal of the three senior SLFP members from their party posts said, “At the end of the meeting, the former President brought a resolution to remove us from our positions. Not even one-fourth of members who participated raised their hands.
“We requested that we be allowed to comment on this. The chairman also said that this will be considered as passed.
We were not given a chance to express our views. The people who were there protested. But he left despite their protest. This is a completely illegal removal. He did not even mention the charges. We have a question about his behavior these days. There are problems with the stories he is relating. It seems that the former President has some mental problem. We are taking legal action regarding this removal illegal.”
State Minister Alagiyawanna said the allegation put forward to remove him from the position of treasurer of the SLFP is that he did not work properly when forging the alliance.
He said the party leadership called it as a special meeting and added that it is not possible to take such decisions at such a special meeting. Dissanayake MP said the Sri Lanka Freedom Party was not a party where people can take decisions based on personal reasons. “None of us will leave this party. We cannot be chased out as well. We will change the leadership and will go on to form an SLFP government,” he added.
During an Executive Committee of the SLFP, party leader former President Maithripala Sirisena had announced that Amaraweera, Alagiyawanna and Dissanayake will be removed from their respective positions in the party on Saturday.
Amaraweera held the post of Senior Vice President, Alagiyawanna, the Treasurer and Dissanayake, the post of National Organizer. Meanwhile, the SLFP also appointed a new Senior Vice President former Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake, former Western Province Minister Hector Bethmage as the Treasurer and SLFP’s Mahiyanganaya Constituency Organizer K.P. Gunawardena as National Organizer.
