text: Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena resigned as the Chairman of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and appointed Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as his replacement for the post, Colombo Gazette reported.
  The appointment was made when the SLFP faction, led by Sirisena, met at a hotel in Kotte on Sunday.
  Rajapakshe was appointed as the new Chairman of the party following a vote.
  Attorney-at-Law Keerthi Udawatte was also appointed as the Acting General Secretary of the SLFP.
  However, the SLFP faction, led by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, said that it does not recognise the appointments.
  Party MP Duminda Dissanayake said that the appointments made by Sirisena were “illegal”, as reported by Colombo Gazette.-ANI