President intervened to stop removal of my positions in party – Devapriya | Sunday Observer

President intervened to stop removal of my positions in party – Devapriya

20 October, 2019

Despite media reports last week about removing former Chief Minister of the Western Province Isura Devapriya from all positions he held in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), acting Chairman of the SLFP Prof Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa debunked the charges.

Former Chief Minister Isura Devapriya held positions in the SLFP as a central committee member and chief organizer of the Maharagama electorate.

“If we are to strip the positions of any member, it has to be through a decision taken at the party central committee.

But we did not take such a decision at the central committee” Prof Piyadasa told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

The SLFP had a central committee meeting on Friday (18) where crossover MPs was a key topic. Isura Devapriya had also been accused of attending a meeting organised by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). As Prof Piyadasa said, the central committee only decided to organize a special meeting with all recent crossover MPs from the SLFP to other parties.

“There are a number of SLFP members including local authorities’ representatives, who crossed over to the SLPP and the New Democratic Front. We want to meet all of them and listen to their grievances” the acting Chairman said.

Meanwhile, Isura Devapriya told the Sunday Observer yesterday that the removal of his positions from the party was avoided by the intervention of President Maithripala Sirisena. “They took a decision to take away my positions during the central committee meeting last Friday. President Maithripala Sirisena had seen this on social media, and advised the party to reverse that decision” Devapriya said.

He added, “Rohana Lakshaman Piyadasa and Dayasiri Jayasekara wanted to remove my positions. They have no authority to do so because, I have been appointed by the President himself”.

 

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