The names of several senior members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) are widely tipped for the position of partys General Secretary which currently remains vacant, political sources revealed.However, MP Duminda Dissanayake is in the lead among the party members who are eyeing the post, according to sources.It is also said that former Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake, who is a Senior Deputy Secretary of the SLFP, is also keen on this position.Although Sarath Ekanayake was appointed as the Acting General Secretary of the party, following the expulsion of MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, the Colombo District Court issued an injunction on September 08, preventing the former chief minister from serving in his new position.Accordingly, the SLFPs central committee later decided to appoint MP Sarathi Dushmantha as a stand-in for the general secretary of the party.However, the political sources mentioned that this competition has been created since the vacant post is due to be filled permanently.
The chairman of the SLFP, former President Maithripala Sirisena previously announced that the party was ready to accept ousted party member Jayasekara for any other title he may wish to hold in the party, but not as the SLFPs General Secretary.Against such a backdrop, the senior members of the SLFP have opined that especially, if an alliance is to be formed between the SLFP and President Ranil Wickremesinghe aimed at the upcoming elections, MP Duminda Dissanayake is the most suitable party member to be appointed as the General Secretary of the party.Meanwhile, speaking at a press briefing held in Kandy today (19), former Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake stated that the SLFP would not, in fact, work together with the government for any reason.