Sri Lanka Fredom Party President Maithripala Sirisena has indicated in a statement that a group of the party members gone against the party decision and took up possition in the government.
The announcement is as follows.
Members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party getting ministerial positions!
We have stated that the members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party who have accepted the ministerial posts have taken the ministerial posts without any approval of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party decided support the take the government and provide support only if an all-party interim government is established to save the country and the people from the sufferings of the common people including hunger. We do not approve of assuming government positions contrary to those decisions. We express our regret that Sri Lanka Freedom Party MPs have taken ministerial positions for their own personal gain.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party was the first to propose that an all-party interim government should be installed to create political stability in the country and manage the crisis, as has been accepted by all parties, both nationally and internationally. It is very disgusting that a group of MPs from our party have taken ministerial positions while giving false impression to the general public that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is also holding positions and supporting the current government, without any discussion with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party or the party leadership.
As discussed so far, the arbitrarily awarding positions to MPs without any agreement with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party shows that there is no real desire in the government to establish an all-party interim government as we suggested. Therefore, only a greedy traditional corrupt government rejected by the people will be born again. Also, it is a ruthless dismissal of the opinion of the Supreme Patriarch, other religious priests, scholars and professionals, civil society activists and the general public in this country. On the other hand, it ignores the hopes of the international community, which hopes for political stability in order to provide support to alleviate the country’s growing economic crisis.
Therefore, even in such a challenging and confusing political environment, as a responsible political party in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is more responsible for the security and welfare of the state of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan nation and is sensitive to the suffering of the people of the country, with a keen attention to the current political events. We have declared that we will deal with justice. We strongly emphasize that a group of members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party arbitrarily assuming ministerial positions without the approval of the party will not affect the achievements of the future political programs of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party for the sake of the motherland and for the advancement of the people.
Maithripala Sirisena on September 9, 2022
Chairman – Sri Lanka Freedom Party