Former President and Secretary, SLFP Attanagalle Central Committee, Chandrika Kumaratunge has informed President Mahinda Rajapakse in writing that she and sister Sunethra Bandaranaike have both declined to accept the SLFP organizer post of the Attanagalla electorate as requested by the party organization and proposed the name of a Provincial Councilor for the position.

The SLFP Attanagalla organizer post fell vacant following the death of former Minister Anura Banadaranaike.

Kumaratunge has informed the President that the Central Committee had at a meeting convened in March decided to propose the name of Western Provincial Councilor Ranjith Rupasinghe as the party’s organizer for Attanagalla.

In her letter to Rajapakase, Kumaratunge has stated that a meeting of the SLFP Attanagalle central committee was convened at the request of its members to decide on a suitable person to be appointed as Attanagalle organizer.

Kumaratunge has said that her name was first proposed to the post, but she declined to accept it. "Then, Sunethra Bandaranaike’s name had been proposed, but she too had declined it," the former President has said.

Finally, Rupasinghe’s name was proposed to the post, as he had been a long standing, loyal member of the SLFP, Kumaratunge has pointed out.

Kumaratunge in the letter while recommending Rupasinghe’s name to the position has pledged her fullest support to him in carrying out his work as Attanagalle organizer.

Kumaratunge has also said that Sunethra and the rest of the Bandaranaike family were supportive of Rupasinghe and has urged the President to appoint him as Attanagalle orgainser on behalf of the Attanagalle central committee and it members.

Minutes of the Attanagalle central committee meeting signed by 26 members has also been attached to Kumaratuge’s letter to the President.