Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga made her first public appearance this evening after her arch-rival former President Mahinda Rajapaksa took oaths as the Prime Minister plunging the country into a state of political turbulence. 

Kumaratunga, a patron of the SLFP and a Central Committee member, was seen at the Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera commemoration which is currently taking place at the new Town Hall, Colombo 07. 

The former President made her first public appearance amidst strong rumours that a group fo SLFP Parliamentarians are preparing to support Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament against Sirisena's move to appoint Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister. 

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was also among the attendees of the event that will commemorate the Buddhist monk who single-handedly architected the campaign of the Common Candidate, in November, 2014. 

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliament M.A. Sumanthiran also attended the event representing his party. 

President Maithripala Sirisena, a man who projected himself as a strong follower of Sobhitha Thera's policies, was not seen among the participants this year.