Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena sacks his supporters from party

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today sacked five top leaders including ex-cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga, who had backed him in his campaign to defeat Mahinda Rajapaksa in presidential polls, from his party for defecting to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's UNP.

Sirisena's office said he, as the leader of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), has suspended the membership of the five leaders including former World Cup winning captain Ranatunga.

Four others who were suspended from the party are Rajitha Senaratne, MKDS Gunawardena, SB Nawinne, and Western Provincial Councillor Hirunika Premachandra.

The five were prominent among the SLFP leaders who had defected to Sirisena's camp ahead of the presidential polls in January in which Rajapaksa suffered a surprise defeat.

Ranatunga said they have been sacked because they joined Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) to form a broader political front to fight the August 17 parliamentary election.

"We can't remain among a group of corrupt people. That was why we joined the group who were aiming to carry forward the January 8 revolution," Ranatunga said.

The five leaders have opposed Sirisena's decision to give party ticket to Rajapaksa for the parliamentary election.

Ranatunga's two younger brothers, however, are contesting the parliamentary election on an SLFP ticket.