The present leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party had violated the party constitution by holding a convention with the participation of a massive crowd. According to section 17 of the party constitution, only the members of the Central Committee, All Ceylon Executive Committee, five sub committee organisers, five members of the youth and women’s wing, members of the local government authorities, secretaries, chairmen and treasurers of the youth organisations are permitted to attend the party convention, former Treasurer of the SLFP MP Mangala Samaraweera said.

He told a media conference in Colombo on Thursday that the new leaders of the party did not know the party constitution. They brought all the people including members of other parties, to the 19th convention of the SLFP held last Sunday at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Provincial SLFP leaders had threatened the Samurdhi beneficiaries that their benefits would be withdrawn if they failed to attend the Convention.

"President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his speech, took the sole credit for winning the war. We will soon expose the strategy adopted in winning the war and to whom the credit should go. All development projects now being carried out by the Rajapaksa Government were initiated by former governments, prior to 2005. None of the development projects were commenced by the present Government. I challenge anyone who could point out any development project started by the present Government. I have documentary evidence to prove it", Samaraweera said.