President Maithripala Sirisena called upon the world leaders to emulate Nelson Mandela" who showed the correct path by his humanitarian qualities and the love for the people" stated President’s Media Division'

Addressing the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit held on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday ^24 September& at the UN Headquarters in New York" President Sirisena said Mandela was a great statesman and epitome of reconciliation'

SLFP Leader and President Maithripala Sirisena is ready to face the challenge thrown by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who last week hinted that there was a need to form a new political party as there was majority support from grassroots level SLFPers, authoritative SLFP sources told Nation.

A senior spokesman for the SLFP said that the President who leads the SLFP would not stop anyone from leaving the party but was now in the process of re-organizing the SLFP. ‘New electoral and grassroots level organizers would be appointed shortly’, he added.