• Alleges the former President had acted in a manner contrary to SLFP policy and principles

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda  

The Colombo District Court yesterday issued an enjoining order preventing former President Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).  
Colombo District Court Judge Sandun Vithana made this order pursuant to a lawsuit filed by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. This order will be effective until April 18.  

The court further issued notices for interim injunction on defendants SLFP Chairman Maithripala Sirisena, Acting Secretary Dushmantha Mithrapala, Senior Chairman Nimal Siripala de Silva, Vice Chairman Faizer Mustapha PC, returnable for April 18.   
In her plaint, former President Kumaratunga alleged that former President Sirisena’s failure to discharge his duties as the head of State paved way for the Easter Sunday attacks and the Supreme Court ordered him to pay Rs.100 million as compensation to the victims of Easter Sunday attacks.  
Kumaratunga further alleged that during the 2015-Presidential Election, first defendant Sirisena sought a mandate to politically defeat the Rajapaksa family. She said former President Sirisena removed Ranil Wickremesinghe from the post of Prime Minister and unconstitutionally dissolved Parliament being a person who violated citizens’ Fundamental Rights. 
She further alleged that former President Sirisena had acted in a manner contrary to the SLFP policy and principles.  
She alleged that Maithripala Sirisena had also removed Duminda Dissanayake, Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Mahinda Amaraweera from the posts of SLFP National Organizer, Treasurer and Senior Vice Chairman respectively at a special meeting convened by SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena on March 30.