President Maithripala Sirisena ordered the removal of 13 Sri Lanka Freedom Party Central Committee Members.

These include Rathnasiri Wickramanayake, Susil Premajayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, DM Jayaratne, John Seneviratne, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Kamala Ranatunga and Salinda Dissanayake.

Furthermore, 13 other members will be appointed to the Central Committee. Reports said that appointment letters have been signed by the newly appointed SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake.

The SLFP party membership of Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa have also been suspended by President Maithripala Sirisena along with all positions they held within the party.

Premajayantha was sacked as UPFA General Secretary to be replaced with Prof. Wishwa Warnapala. Anura Yapa was replaced as SLFP General Secretary by Duminda Dissanayake.

Meanwhile the Central Committee membership of Premajayantha and Yapa were also suspended.

However, speaking to media, Premajayantha rejected the removal, saying that this cannot be done without approval of the SLFP Central Committee and the UPFA Executive Committee.

President Maithripala Sirisena met former Sri Lankan ruggerite Wasim Thsjudeen's family today.

The President assured Thajudeen's family that the investigations on the death of the former Havelock's SC captain will be carried out as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, he assured that Thajudeen's family will be given full security until investigations are concluded.

Thajudeen died in 2012 in what was then described as an accident. However, recent findings have made the CID inform the Magistrate's Court that it is no accident. His body was exhumed on August 10 for further analysis.

Former Minister AHM Fowzie stated that he has no right to oppose President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision if he thinks that he is suitable to become Prime Minister.
 
Speaking to Asian Mirror, Fowzie said that he did not sign the letter sent to the President by six other senior SLFP members, urging the President to name Rajapaksa as Prime Minister if UPFA wins the election.
 
President Sirisena, writing a letter yesterday to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said that Rajapaksa should support the naming of a senior SLFP member to the post of Prime Minister. He suggested names of seven such individuals. Six of them wrote to Sirisena today, expressing their support to Rajapaksa.
 
However, Fowzie said that the President has the right to name the Prime Minister. He is also the Chairman of the SLFP and the UPFA. Therefore, if the President thinks that he is suitable to be Prime Minister, he is in no position to question the President, Fowzie added.

President Maithripala Sirisena hit out at opponents within the UPFA and the SLFP by sacking the two general secretaries of the parties, Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.

Premajayantha was replaced by Prof. Wishwa Warnapala as UPFA General Secretary and Anura Yapa was replaced by Duminda Dissanayake as SLFP General Secretary.

This was revealed when Dissanayake and Warnapala requested an interim injuction order from the Colombo District Court to carry out their duties without any disturbance. They informed court that they have been appointed as acting General Secretaries by the President.

Premajayantha was the first General Secretary of the UPFA and served in the capacity from its founding in 2004. Anura Yapa was appointed following the defection of Maithripala Sirisena to the opposition at the end of 2014.

Six Sri Lanka Freedom Party seniors who were named as prospective Prime Ministers by President Maithripala Sirisena have sent a letter to the President.
 
In this letter, Nimal Siripala de Silva, WDJ Seneviratne, Chamal Rajapaksa, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Susil Premajayantha and Athauda Seneviratne have said that in their opinion, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the rightful person to be appointed Prime Minister in the event of a UPFA election victory.
 
They point out that the UPFA campaign was led by Rajapaksa. If the UPFA is to win, Rajapaksa is the most important reasons for it, they said.
 
The six senior SLFP members also point out that the people have been given the message that Rajapaksa will be Prime Minister in the event of a UPFA victory.

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya requested state electronic media to cease broadcasting and telecasting of President Maithripala Sirisena's letter to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The request was made after considering two complaints filed by United People's Freedom Lawyers' Association and United People's Freedom Alliance Lawyers' Association. The Elections Commissioner also said that the issue was brought to his attention by UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha over the phone.

Deshapriya said that the broadcasting of the letter will have a negative impact on the election campaign of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Former Parliamentarian John Seneviratne declined President Maithripala Sirisena’s offer to become Prime Minister, on behalf of all seven SLFP seniors the President recommended in his letter to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
 
Speaking at a press conference convened today, Seneviratne said that they support the name of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister.
 
The seven seniors include Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, John Seneviratne, Athauda Seneviratne, AHM Fowzie and Chamal Rajapaksa.
 
Meanwhile, Chamal Rajapaksa said that he does not expect the people to support his name as Prime Minister. Chamal Rajapaksa is the elder brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa responded to President Maithripala Sirisena's lengthy letter with a short reply.

He acknowledges that he has received Sirisena's letter. Rajapaksa refuted all allegations leveled at him and said that he handed over the party to Sirisena days after the election defeat in January.

Rajapaksa also said that he believes Sirisena will accpet the people's mandate after the general election.

Related: Rajapaksa Will Not Be Appointed Prime Minister, Sirisena Informs (SEE FULL LETTER)

President Maithripala Sirisena wrote to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today and reiterated that even if the UPFA wins the general election, he won’t be appointed Prime Minister.
 
Writing a lengthy letter, Sirisena said that there were a number of other senior party members who could be appointed as Prime Minister. He did not approve of Rajapaksa seeking to be PM once again after being President for years, Sirisena said.
 
Sirisena also reminded that he had wanted to lead the SLFP election campaign. However, Rajapaksa’s insistence on being given nominations caused him to retreat for the sake of the party, Sirisena said. Otherwise Rajapaksa would have stormed out of the party, dividing it in the process, the President recalled.
 
If he had led the party, those who had supported him in the general election would have supported the SLFP, Sirisena said.
 
The President also revealed that he and Rajapaksa met thrice after the January 8 election. He also revealed that the two had a telephone conversation two days prior to Rajapaksa signing nominations. Sirisena revealed that he promised Rajapaksa a respected retirement. According to Sirisena, Rajapaksa had refused, despite the fact that the majority of his family had supported Sirisena’s gesture.
 
Sirisena also revealed that he and Rajapaksa had been good friends until Basil Rajapaksa ruined the friendship.
 
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