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SLFP to take action against party members becoming ministers 

26 May 2022

  • Central Committee to take final decision next week 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Against the backdrop of two Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs having taken over ministerial posts and several others being tipped to become State Ministers, SLFP Senior Vice President Prof. Rohana Luxman Piyadasa said that it would be a wrong precedent if the party does not take action against the party MPs who accept ministerial posts contrary to the party's decision. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (26), he said: “The Party has not yet convened the Central Committee and it is likely to meet next week. There, we have to and will take a decision in this regard. There should be discipline, especially when it comes to a political party. It could set a wrong precedent if no action is taken against those who act contrary to the Party's decision.”  He further said that it would not be fair if one policy is followed with regard to certain party MPs who opposed the party’s decision and another with some others. Therefore, he said that an appropriate decision would be taken in this regard at the forthcoming Central Committee meeting, giving priority to party discipline. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had invited several political parties, including the SLFP, to support the Government. In response to the invitation, the SLFP announced that they would support any progressive decision that would be taken by the Government to resolve the prevailing crisis situation, without taking over ministerial posts.  However, SLFP Members and MPs elected from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera, were recently appointed Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Services, and the Minister of Agriculture, and Wildlife and Forest Resource Conservation, respectively. Speaking to the media recently, Amaraweera said that several other SLFP Members who are MPs elected from the SLPP are to be appointed as State Ministers. Meanwhile, when questioned as to whether disciplinary action would be taken against de Silva, Prof. Piyadasa, on an earlier occasion, said that disciplinary action would be taken against the former in the future. He said: “Any political party usually takes disciplinary action against MPs who work against the party’s decision. So, what has happened in this case is that a member of the SLFP has acted against the party’s decision. Therefore, disciplinary action should and would be taken against him. There can be no one policy for the backbenchers of the party and a different policy for those in high office.”


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