The Sri Lanka Freedom Party today officially announced that it has decided to quit the unity government. 

Party stalwart and Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala, making a statement to a private TV station, confirmed the party's decision and said the President would seek the Supreme Court's opinion on appointing a new Prime Minister. 

Before announcing this decision, MPs of the SLFP held a discussion with President Maithripala Sirisena at the latter's residence in Colombo. After the meeting, however, many MPs of the party left the President's residence in a hurry, dodging media queries. 

Interestingly, the SLFP's decision sharply contradicts two previous positions taken by the party, political observers said. 

The SLFP previously said the unity government became invalid on December 31, 2017 as the party did not renew its agreement with the UNP. 

If the unity government turned invalid on December 31, 2017, the SLFP had no reason to make a decision to leave the government today. 

"Why would anyone bother to leave a government that became invalid nearly two months ago," a political observer who spoke to Asian Mirror asked. 

It also contradicted the claims that the SLFP commanded a majority in Parliament.

In such an event, the SLFP has no reason to leave the government and function as an opposition party as the party is in a position to form its own government.