Five constituent parties of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) say that they will not accept Thilanga Sumathipala, who was appointed as the alliance’s new General Secretary, reports Colombo Page on November 24. Issuing a joint statement, the five parties point out that they were not informed about the removal of Minister Mahinda Amaraweera from that position or the appointment of a new General Secretary. The parties said they were surprised when they saw the news in the media about the removal of Mahinda Amaraweera from the post, and pointed out that before taking such a decision, the executive council or the allied parties should have been informed according to the constitution and precedent of the UPFA.