Ministers' exit - no major dent on SLFP - Minister Jayaratne

"When we look back at the history of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the decision of the two Ministers, Mangala and Sripathi, to leave the party will not make a major dent on the SLFP", the most senior member of the SLFP, Minister of Plantations D. M. Jayaratne said.

He said that in past more heavyweights left the party but the SLFP did not collapse but those who left the party were compelled to return.

He said that the party was now accustomed to such issues and the very first Secretary of the party Bernard Aluwihara was the first to leave the party.

"I tried hard to keep the two in the party and I have still not given up my attempts to bring them back", he said.