The President addressing the first Sri Lanka Freedom Party District Convention held at the Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya in Kurunegala on Thrusday (09) said that abolishing executive presidency was confined only to dialogue for so many years.

He noted that it was mentioned in the 1994 manifesto of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and then again in the manifesto of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and this was a pledge given in all manifestos of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He also pointed out that this was an issue that was much talked about by the people for 40 years.

Therefore the President said he believes that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party members would give their approval for the 19th Amendment.

He said under the present political situation, the people should be gathered from the grassroots level for the victory of the Party and everyone should be collectively dedicated to strengthen and build the party. There should be no petty differences in steering the party towards victory, he stressed.

At this event it was informed of the intention of the party to hold District Conventions island wide in the future to provide a broad awareness on the vision and the Constitution of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to the District representatives. Today's meeting in Kurunegala is the inaugural meeting.

A group of Parliamentarians representing the Kurunegala District, Northwestern Chief Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara and members of Local Government bodies were present at the Convention.