Friday Dec 13, 2024
Friday, 30 August 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday decided to take disciplinary action against Parliamentarians S.B. Dissanayake and Dilan Perera, after they obtained membership of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
SLFP spokesman MP Weerakumara Dissanayake told Daily FT the party had decided to take disciplinary action against the two MPs and several Local Government representatives, for supporting other political parties.
“We consider both Parliamentarians as having left the party. They are National List MPs, so they have an additional responsibility to be faithful to their party, as they became Members of Parliament because they were included in the National List,” Dissanayake said.
If Dissanayake and Perera are dismissed from their party memberships, they could also lose their parliamentary seats.
Along with the two MPs, 35 Local Government representatives, four former MPs, and three organisers of SLFP from Hanguranketha, Badulla, and Kandy electorates, obtained SLPP membership on Thursday.
At the event held at SLPP Head Office to welcome the SLFP members, SLPP National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa said they will not take any decision to undermine ongoing talks between the SLFP and SLPP.
“We believe the SLFP decision to join with us is important. Their discussion with the SLPP on forming a coalition is genuine,” he said.
This week, the SLFP Central Committee removed MPs S. B. Dissanayake and Dilan Perera from their posts.