By The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) now has two Acting Chairman’s . Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe was appointed as the Acting Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) by the Maithripala Sirisena faction and Minister Nimal Siripala Silva is the Chairman appointed by the fraction opposing Maithripala Sirisena who has been restrained from functioning as the Chairman of the SLFP.
Strangely both the acting President’s of the SLFP are of the Wickramasigha Cabinet and they don’t immediately challenge the Ranil Wickramasingha administration.
Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe who was appointed after a executive committee of the SLFP in which Maythiripala Sirisena was present. The appointment was made during an executive committee meeting held at a hotel in Kotte with the participation of former President Maithripala Sirisena.
Minister of Ports, Aviation and Shipping Nimal Siripala de Silva was earlier appointed as Acting Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) at a SLFP politburo meeting under the chairmanship of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Minister Rajapaksha and has supporters who tried to enter the SLFP headquarters were prevented from entering the party headquarters. The Police said that it is investigating a complaint made regarding sabotage at he headquarters.
The newly appointed Chairman of the SLFP had to hold his press briefing outside the headquarters and said that the police is been manipulated by a hidden hand.
“those who prevented us will have to face justice soon “ said Minister Rajapaksha.
Minster Wijedasa Rajapaksha said the members of the SLFP have urged him to become the Presidential candidate of the SLFP.
He said that those who invited him to the SLF are confident that he could give leadership to the party and give it a revival.
A Long Walk
In May 2004 he was appointed as a Member of Parliament to represent the ruling Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
Following the 2005 presidential elections, President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed him as the Minister of State Banking Development in November 2005, but he resigned in April 2006 on a matter of policy. He also resigned from the post of the party organiser in the Maharagama electorate.
In 2010, he was elected to Parliament from the Colombo District. In 2012, he was elected President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. During his tenure he led the Bar Association in support of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake during her impeachment. Following the 2015 presidential election he was appointed Minister of Justice. In 2017, he was sacked from his ministerial position by President Maithripala Sirisena at the request by the United National Party.
He was appointed Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs in May 2018. In 2018, with the on set of the 2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis, he was appointed to the new cabinet of ministers headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Education and Higher Education in October 2018.
Wijedasa Rajapaksha has been able to survive many political storms and shown keen interest in constructional reform.
