Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara has said he possesses the necessary qualifications to lead his party, but stressed that the final decision on appointing a party leader should rest with the party’s Executive Council.

Speaking at a media briefing held on Tuesday (24), Jayasekara said the party should appoint as leader a person who enjoys public acceptance. He emphasised that his political career began with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and that his long-standing service as an active member gives him the legitimacy to seek the leadership.

He noted that there was no need to rush the leadership selection process, adding that it was more important to choose a person capable of rebuilding the party from the grassroots level.

Jayasekara also recalled that when Chandrika Kumaratunga served as party leader amid widespread opposition, she initiated the process of rebuilding a party that had remained weakened for 17 years, starting from the grassroots. He said the SLFP began to lose direction after 2019 and now needs to be restructured and strengthened once again.

He further remarked that a political party cannot be built merely by holding on to the party symbol, headquarters, or control of the Executive Council. Instead, he said, collective effort was required to build a party capable of providing leadership to the country.

Emphasising the need for renewal, Jayasekara said no one could remain in leadership positions indefinitely by relying on seniority alone. He underscored the importance of allowing new talent to emerge within all political parties and said he was prepared to make that commitment himself.

He added that the moment it becomes clear that the people no longer accept him, he would know when to step aside, noting that clinging to party leadership by force only leads to the erosion of public support. He stressed that political leaders must be prepared to leave at the appropriate time for the greater good of the party and the country.