SLFP turns 61

Today is the 61st anniversary of the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), the main constituent of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance.

The SLFP was founded by the late S.R.W.D. Bandaranaike on September 2, 1951.

He became the Prime Minister when the SLFP formed its first Government by winning the 1956 general election.

Since then, the SLFP has been the predominant party in the Government on a number of occasions.

Its common candidates have won four of the six presidential elections held since the introduction of the present Constitution in 1978 including President Mahinda Rajapaksa who won the 2005 and 2010 presidential elections.