Former President Maithripala Sirisena has tendered his resignation as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) with the Executive Committee unanimously voting to appoint Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as the new chairman.
The vote was taken at the executive committee meeting held in Kotte this morning.
However, the faction led by party secretary Duminda Dissanayake stressed the appointment has no validity. In a letter addressed to Sarath Ekanayake, who is a Senior Deputy Secretary of the SLFP, Dissanayake said that the meeting has no legitimacy.
The SLFP continues to face challenges with the ongoing conflict between the two factions battling for leadership.