By Niranjala Ariywansha & Skandha Gunasekara

Effecting dramatic changes to the upper echelons of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, President Maithripala Sirsena yesterday removed a few Mahinda Rajapaksa confidantes from their positions, while also dismissing former Tamil rebel, turned politician, Vinayagamoorthy Muralidharan aka Karuna, when the Executive Committee met yesterday at Battaramulla.

Parliamentarians A. H. M. Fowzie, W. D. J. Seneviratne, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Janaka Bandara Tennakoon were appointed as Senior Vice Presidents of the party while Minister of Health, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Lands M. K. A. D. S. Gunawardhana,MPs Kumar Welgama, C. B. Ratnayake, S. B. Dissanayake, Piyasena Gamage, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhana, Felix Perera and Sarath Amunugama were appointed as a Vice Presidents of the Party.

Rajapaksa confidante Dullas Alahapperuma was also appointed as a Vice President while he’s position as Treasurer was given to S. B. Nawinna

The new National Organizer of the SLFP is MP Susil Premajayantha, while Aruna Priyadharnshana Yapa was retained as the General Secretary.

The decision to make these changes was taken at the Central Committee meeting of the Party held on Friday (13) at the SLFP Headquarters, Darley Road.

Further, party constitutional changes were made in the form of the SLFP Patrons being included on the Advisory Board of the Party. Accordingly, Patrons of the Party, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Prime Minister Dimu Jayaratne and former Western Province Chief Minister Alavi Maulana were appointed to the Advisory Board of the SLFP.

Apart from the patrons appointed to the Advisory Board, Speaker of Parliament Chamal Rajapaksa and Professor Vishwa Warnapala, along with five intellectuals, were also added to the Advisory Board.

The All Island Working Committee of the SLFP convened straight after the conclusion of the Executive Committee meeting and the newly made appointments and constitutional changes were unanimously agreed upon. This was revealed by SLFP MP Nimal Siripala de Silva at a press conference held soon after.

Courtesy:Ceylon Today