Sri Lanka, April 25 -- Expectations that the lull in all activities during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season would pervade the political arena came to naught with a series of political events last week. There will be significant sequels for the political parties and personalities involved in the coming weeks as these events unfold.

The most dramatic developments were seen in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) where former Presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Maithripala Sirisena are locked in a major dispute. Kumaratunga had obtained a Court order restraining Sirisena from acting as Chairman of the Party.

Subsequent to this, the faction opposed to Sirisena and led by Kumaratunga moved quickly to summon a meeting of the ...