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Sri Lankan president sacks party secretaries ahead of parliamentary polls

Xinhua, August 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday sacked the general secretaries of the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and its broader coalition, the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), just two days before a parliamentary election scheduled to take place in the island nation.

General Secretaries, Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadharshana Yapa have been replaced by Duminda Disssanayake and Wishwa Warnapala.

A restraining order prohibiting Yapa and Premajayantha from interfering in the work of the two new appointees has also been obtained by the Colombo District Court.

UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha had said his party was confident of winning in all 14 districts across the country as well as forming a future government.

He added that people have accepted former President Mahinda Rajapakse as future prime minister and those who had voted against him in January have now turned in favor of him.

Earlier in the day, the UPFA reiterated that Rajapakse would be made the country's new prime minister if the opposition wins the Aug. 17 parliamentary elections.

President Sirisena was appointed the leader of the SLFP and the UPFA after he won the presidential election in January, defeating former president Mahinda Rajapakse. He now has the power to appoint new prime minister in future government. Endi