The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is opposed to the sale of the Eastern Container Terminal of the Colombo Port (ECT) to foreign power, said the General Secretary of the party, Minister of State Dayasiri Jayasekara.

Jayasekera said the Eastern Conainer Terminal was an important national asset to Sri Lanka and his party would discuss this critical issue next week. "If a foreign party wants to invest, they can invest in the Southern Terminal," Jayasekera said.

He added that his party stands ready to take every possible measure to protect this terminal and they intend to hold a discussion with President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in this regard.

However, relations between the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) and its coalition partner SLFP have strained in the recent party with the SLFP members claiming they are given "step-motherly treatment" by the government.

On a previous occassion, Jayaseketa said they could not even get a meeting with President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. It is in the grapevine that some members of the SLFP are now exploring the possibility of working with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).