Sri Lanka Freedom Party Treasurer S.B. Nawinne stated that the SLFP will penalize any representative of the party if they had attended the pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa rally in Ratnapura.

Speaking to local media, he said that once SLFP Central Committee took a decision, party members must adhere to it. The SLFP Central Committee banned members of the party form attending rallies organized by other political parties without prior approval several weeks ago.

Nawinne further stated that the SLFP is attempting to strengthen the party and leading it towards an election victory. Therefore, members of the party must adhere to party decisions, he stressed.

The banning order was first issued before the second of the pro-Rajapaksa rallies were held in Kandy. Only a few leading representatives of the party defied the ban at the Kandy rally and the party still has not taken any step against them.

However, speaking to media recently, SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa pointed out that the banning order was still in force.

Despite this threat, more than 20 SLFP MPs and Provincial Councilors turned up in the rally in Ratnapura on Thursday (26).